May the will of the Lord be accomplished fully in your life in the year ahead, even as Jesus surrendered His life to the will of the Father in Luke 22:42.
May the truth of the Lord be boldly proclaimed by the "living epistle of your life" according to II Corinthians 3:2.
May you decrease that Jesus may increase in your life, John 3:30.
May you die to yourself that Christ may be fully alive in you as Acts 17:11 admonishes.
May you fear nothing of time, Matthew 10:28, Luke 12:4, but live in awe the One who holds time in His hand.
May you be "more than a conqueror," Romans 8:37, for the ONE who has conquered death, hell, and the grave, according to the promise of Hosea 13:14 dwells in you!
Walk in the power of WHOSE you are in the year ahead!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Our Privilege--to Speak the Word
December 31
All the uplifting words from the lips of a gracious man that sweeten life like honey when spoken to the heartbroken or frightened or sorrowful; all the words of wisdom of the Word of God itself when drunk in by the thirsting soul cannot be of any avail until they have done the work that God sent them to do.
In Isaiah 55:11 the Lord says through His prophet, “My word, that goes forth out of My mouth, shall not return to Me void but shall accomplish that which I please and shall prosper in the thing to which I send it.” The Word of God, if received by a man, shall be his salvation. If rejected, it shall be his downfall, his damnation.
The ‘Living Word of God’ is Jesus Himself. In John 1:1,2, the beloved Apostle states clearly, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made.” Jesus was and is the everlasting God who made Heaven and Earth. He is the loving God who gave Himself as the propitiation for all man’s sin.
We who believe that Jesus is the Living Word of God bear a great responsibility to convey the message of salvation, the Truth, the Word, to everyone with whom we have association. Ezekiel 3:18-21 indeed states very emphatically that the believer is required to share God’s truth.
Here the prophet declares clearly, “ When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.
"Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
Therefore, when we have received the knowledge of Jesus our Savior and Lord, we must pass it along to others. In I Thessalonians 4:1, Paul says, “We ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God, do so even more.”
Walk and please God and do even more by scattering seeds of the truth of Jesus among everyone you encounter. What is done with God’s truth by the hearer is between the hearer and God, but if the truth goes unspoken by the believer in Christ, the one who professes faith is held accountable by the Lord.
It is our responsibility and our privilege to be bearers of the Word of Life, to be instruments in the hand of God by whom He imparts to the lost the truth that enables them to be found; to sow seeds of life among them so they might be born again from the realm of time where death is inevitable into the realm of faith in Christ where eternal life reigns.
All the uplifting words from the lips of a gracious man that sweeten life like honey when spoken to the heartbroken or frightened or sorrowful; all the words of wisdom of the Word of God itself when drunk in by the thirsting soul cannot be of any avail until they have done the work that God sent them to do.
In Isaiah 55:11 the Lord says through His prophet, “My word, that goes forth out of My mouth, shall not return to Me void but shall accomplish that which I please and shall prosper in the thing to which I send it.” The Word of God, if received by a man, shall be his salvation. If rejected, it shall be his downfall, his damnation.
The ‘Living Word of God’ is Jesus Himself. In John 1:1,2, the beloved Apostle states clearly, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made.” Jesus was and is the everlasting God who made Heaven and Earth. He is the loving God who gave Himself as the propitiation for all man’s sin.
We who believe that Jesus is the Living Word of God bear a great responsibility to convey the message of salvation, the Truth, the Word, to everyone with whom we have association. Ezekiel 3:18-21 indeed states very emphatically that the believer is required to share God’s truth.
Here the prophet declares clearly, “ When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.
"Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
Therefore, when we have received the knowledge of Jesus our Savior and Lord, we must pass it along to others. In I Thessalonians 4:1, Paul says, “We ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God, do so even more.”
Walk and please God and do even more by scattering seeds of the truth of Jesus among everyone you encounter. What is done with God’s truth by the hearer is between the hearer and God, but if the truth goes unspoken by the believer in Christ, the one who professes faith is held accountable by the Lord.
It is our responsibility and our privilege to be bearers of the Word of Life, to be instruments in the hand of God by whom He imparts to the lost the truth that enables them to be found; to sow seeds of life among them so they might be born again from the realm of time where death is inevitable into the realm of faith in Christ where eternal life reigns.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Anchored
December 30
In spite of the confidence believers have that God’s promises are ‘yea and amen,’ why then does it sometimes appear that Christians suffer defeat? Why does every believer not always triumph over every foe? Why are the faithful sometimes overcome by things as temporal as failing to attain financial security or undone by matters as weighty as succumbing to disease and death?
Hebrews, Chapter 11, often referred to as ‘The Hall of Faith,’ begins with a glimpse of the explanation. In the first verse it says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This makes it very clear that true faith holds to the Lord, even when the fruit of faith remains unrealized.
There follows a comprehensive list of the people of God who did not receive the thing for which they prayed. Hebrews 11:39-40 says, “They did not receive what was promised since God had provided something better...” What is that “something better”? After all, what can be better than seeing miracles in response to our prayers?
Jesus doesn’t want us to walk with Him for the loaves and fishes (see Matthew 13:14 and Mark 6:30). When He sojourned among us, there were indeed scores of people who followed everywhere He went. They were captivated by the miraculous things they saw Him do…but they were left untouched by the evidence these signs and wonders affirmed of who He was!
Our Lord does not want believers to pursue after Him for the benefits of being His children. He doesn’t want us to hover near because of what He can do for us—He wants us to follow Him because of what He has done for us! Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin. If He did nothing else in our behalf, that would still be the great, “unspeakable gift” of II Corinthians 9:15, the gift of eternal life, which all those in ‘The Hall of Faith’ received by faith, trusting in the Messiah who was to come.
That “something better” of Hebrews 11:39, 40 is not a gift whose value is recognized fully in the realm of time but whose complete worth can be realized only in eternity! If people of faith sometimes seem to be disadvantaged on earth it is only because the great benefits of our salvation cannot be discovered until we realize them at His eternal throne!
Our confidence, therefore is not in the fleeting treasure of time, not in the meager trappings of temporal power, but in the eternal riches of Heaven and in Heaven’s power which “holds the keys to death and hell and the grave,” Revelation 1:18. Though we may not escape all earthly trials, we are assured we shall never be scathed by the pangs of death and hell!
Because Jesus has conquered death and holds the keys that release us to life eternal, we are, “more than conquerors,” Romans 8:37, in spite of all the things we may face in this life! In that promise, our confidence is surely anchored for time and forever!
In spite of the confidence believers have that God’s promises are ‘yea and amen,’ why then does it sometimes appear that Christians suffer defeat? Why does every believer not always triumph over every foe? Why are the faithful sometimes overcome by things as temporal as failing to attain financial security or undone by matters as weighty as succumbing to disease and death?
Hebrews, Chapter 11, often referred to as ‘The Hall of Faith,’ begins with a glimpse of the explanation. In the first verse it says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This makes it very clear that true faith holds to the Lord, even when the fruit of faith remains unrealized.
There follows a comprehensive list of the people of God who did not receive the thing for which they prayed. Hebrews 11:39-40 says, “They did not receive what was promised since God had provided something better...” What is that “something better”? After all, what can be better than seeing miracles in response to our prayers?
Jesus doesn’t want us to walk with Him for the loaves and fishes (see Matthew 13:14 and Mark 6:30). When He sojourned among us, there were indeed scores of people who followed everywhere He went. They were captivated by the miraculous things they saw Him do…but they were left untouched by the evidence these signs and wonders affirmed of who He was!
Our Lord does not want believers to pursue after Him for the benefits of being His children. He doesn’t want us to hover near because of what He can do for us—He wants us to follow Him because of what He has done for us! Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin. If He did nothing else in our behalf, that would still be the great, “unspeakable gift” of II Corinthians 9:15, the gift of eternal life, which all those in ‘The Hall of Faith’ received by faith, trusting in the Messiah who was to come.
That “something better” of Hebrews 11:39, 40 is not a gift whose value is recognized fully in the realm of time but whose complete worth can be realized only in eternity! If people of faith sometimes seem to be disadvantaged on earth it is only because the great benefits of our salvation cannot be discovered until we realize them at His eternal throne!
Our confidence, therefore is not in the fleeting treasure of time, not in the meager trappings of temporal power, but in the eternal riches of Heaven and in Heaven’s power which “holds the keys to death and hell and the grave,” Revelation 1:18. Though we may not escape all earthly trials, we are assured we shall never be scathed by the pangs of death and hell!
Because Jesus has conquered death and holds the keys that release us to life eternal, we are, “more than conquerors,” Romans 8:37, in spite of all the things we may face in this life! In that promise, our confidence is surely anchored for time and forever!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Be Not Faint With Fear
December 29
God doesn’t want His people to fret. He wants His people to embody the peace that comes through faith in Jesus Christ as He promised in John 14:27, “My peace I leave with you; not as the world gives peace…” The peace the world extends is based upon circumstances. When life is going well, one has the world's peace. When life becomes problematic, its peace is like a vapor that disappears into thin air.
God wants His children to go forward in confidence—confidence that is borne of the knowledge that Jesus has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” This wonderful promise was quoted by Paul in Hebrews 13:5, and this is the peace that the world cannot give and the world cannot take away, for it is rooted in the eternality of our salvation, of our relationship with Christ and in the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells within us. These are gifts of God Himself and He will not remove them from us.
We can know that we know Jesus will always be with us, for His promises stand forever. In Matthew 24:35, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” The Word of God is surer than any earthly thing on which man can build his hope. The Word of God is surer than the sun rising and setting; than having food for our table or shelter for our rest. When all these things have become the “former things that are passed away,” II Corinthians 5:17, Revelation 21:4, the Word of God will yet stand unchallenged and unchanged.
With the promises of God in mind, and with the awareness that every word God utters is true, Jesus says to His followers in Matthew 6:34, “Don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.” Though we may have trials and tribulations that assail on any given day, the promises of God will stand on the day of testing. We who believe in Jesus shall be steadfast and secure though winds of adversity may blow; though the tyranny of unregenerate man may assail, for the Word shall abide and extend beyond today’s trouble and beyond today’s oppressors.
As Isaiah 51:12 admonishes, "Why are you afraid of a man who shall die and the son of man who shall fade as the grass and forget the Lord your God who stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth?" We who know the One whom to know is life, John 17:3, need have no fear of mortal men whose only control over us is constrained to time.
We needn’t worry or be concerned about the ‘What if?’ concerns that stir in our minds. We need not fear the foes described in Psalm 91—pestilence, destruction, famine, war, etc.—for “…There shall be no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near thy dwelling, for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways…”
O, believer in the awesome, majestic, eternal God, our living Christ, stand on His Word and be not faint with fear!
God doesn’t want His people to fret. He wants His people to embody the peace that comes through faith in Jesus Christ as He promised in John 14:27, “My peace I leave with you; not as the world gives peace…” The peace the world extends is based upon circumstances. When life is going well, one has the world's peace. When life becomes problematic, its peace is like a vapor that disappears into thin air.
God wants His children to go forward in confidence—confidence that is borne of the knowledge that Jesus has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” This wonderful promise was quoted by Paul in Hebrews 13:5, and this is the peace that the world cannot give and the world cannot take away, for it is rooted in the eternality of our salvation, of our relationship with Christ and in the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells within us. These are gifts of God Himself and He will not remove them from us.
We can know that we know Jesus will always be with us, for His promises stand forever. In Matthew 24:35, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” The Word of God is surer than any earthly thing on which man can build his hope. The Word of God is surer than the sun rising and setting; than having food for our table or shelter for our rest. When all these things have become the “former things that are passed away,” II Corinthians 5:17, Revelation 21:4, the Word of God will yet stand unchallenged and unchanged.
With the promises of God in mind, and with the awareness that every word God utters is true, Jesus says to His followers in Matthew 6:34, “Don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.” Though we may have trials and tribulations that assail on any given day, the promises of God will stand on the day of testing. We who believe in Jesus shall be steadfast and secure though winds of adversity may blow; though the tyranny of unregenerate man may assail, for the Word shall abide and extend beyond today’s trouble and beyond today’s oppressors.
As Isaiah 51:12 admonishes, "Why are you afraid of a man who shall die and the son of man who shall fade as the grass and forget the Lord your God who stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth?" We who know the One whom to know is life, John 17:3, need have no fear of mortal men whose only control over us is constrained to time.
We needn’t worry or be concerned about the ‘What if?’ concerns that stir in our minds. We need not fear the foes described in Psalm 91—pestilence, destruction, famine, war, etc.—for “…There shall be no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near thy dwelling, for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways…”
O, believer in the awesome, majestic, eternal God, our living Christ, stand on His Word and be not faint with fear!
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Is He Waiting For You?
December 28
There is a day coming when time shall be no more. The ancient texts of many religions and cultures predict a time of catastrophic proportion when life as we know it on earth shall cease.
Last year at this time there was a lot of excitement about the writings of the ancient Mayans whose prolific musings about myriad eventualities came abruptly to an end. Conjecture about that sudden conclusion caused modern man to speculate that the Mayans established a time in December of 2012 when the end of all things was purportedly to occur. As of this writing, the date is almost exactly one year behind us and the world is still spinning on its axis, the sun still rises and sets each day, and man’s inhumanity to man has not abated because he so recently believed ‘the end’ might be near.
Whether or not we give credence to the musings of pagan soothsayers, there is one highly reliable source upon which Christians base their anticipation of events that will precede and accompany the return of Jesus to earth to claim His bride, the Church which is made up of all true believers in Christ and the salvation that His birth, life, death and resurrection provide to those who accept Him as Savior and Lord. Of that day, the Bible speaks in many places, including in Jeremiah 13:16.
Here the Word of God declares to mankind, “Give glory to the Lord your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the mountains at dusk.” If we are to escape the wrath of God on that day, we must receive Jesus as Lord today, which II Corinthians 6:2 says is, “the accepted day of salvation.”
If we are to be spared the pangs of hell, we must receive our Savior, as Isaiah 55:6 admonishes, “…while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the unrighteous man forsake his ways and the godless man his evil thoughts.”
As Hebrews 10:37 states very clearly, “For yet a little while then He that shall come, will come.” And II Peter 3:9-10 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some men count slackness but is patient toward us, not desiring that any should perish.” IS HE WAITING FOR YOU TO RECEIVE HIM? If so, remember, “Now is the time; today is the accepted day of salvation,” II Corinthians 6:2. This just might be ‘the’ day!
There is a day coming when time shall be no more. The ancient texts of many religions and cultures predict a time of catastrophic proportion when life as we know it on earth shall cease.
Last year at this time there was a lot of excitement about the writings of the ancient Mayans whose prolific musings about myriad eventualities came abruptly to an end. Conjecture about that sudden conclusion caused modern man to speculate that the Mayans established a time in December of 2012 when the end of all things was purportedly to occur. As of this writing, the date is almost exactly one year behind us and the world is still spinning on its axis, the sun still rises and sets each day, and man’s inhumanity to man has not abated because he so recently believed ‘the end’ might be near.
Whether or not we give credence to the musings of pagan soothsayers, there is one highly reliable source upon which Christians base their anticipation of events that will precede and accompany the return of Jesus to earth to claim His bride, the Church which is made up of all true believers in Christ and the salvation that His birth, life, death and resurrection provide to those who accept Him as Savior and Lord. Of that day, the Bible speaks in many places, including in Jeremiah 13:16.
Here the Word of God declares to mankind, “Give glory to the Lord your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the mountains at dusk.” If we are to escape the wrath of God on that day, we must receive Jesus as Lord today, which II Corinthians 6:2 says is, “the accepted day of salvation.”
If we are to be spared the pangs of hell, we must receive our Savior, as Isaiah 55:6 admonishes, “…while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the unrighteous man forsake his ways and the godless man his evil thoughts.”
As Hebrews 10:37 states very clearly, “For yet a little while then He that shall come, will come.” And II Peter 3:9-10 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some men count slackness but is patient toward us, not desiring that any should perish.” IS HE WAITING FOR YOU TO RECEIVE HIM? If so, remember, “Now is the time; today is the accepted day of salvation,” II Corinthians 6:2. This just might be ‘the’ day!
Friday, December 27, 2013
Master of the Extraordinary
December 27
Our God is the Master of the extraordinary. People of faith, theologians, doubters, scoffers have tried to water Him down through the ages, but the fact remains that our God is an awesome God. Whether life and time began as they are detailed in the Biblical book of Genesis or with the ‘big bang’ some scientists theorize triggered the creation of the universe, the event was exceptional.
Amazing though creation may be, we who call ourselves Christians, we who are believers in the salvation provided by the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, would say that the most extraordinary of the miracles performed by our wonder-working God must be the resurrection of the Lord from the tomb on the third day.
This one, well-documented event of history establishes for all time and eternity the single most glorious and significant event in the chronicles of man. In light of the wonder of the resurrection, even the amazing miracles performed by Jesus—the opening of deaf ears, the enlightening of blind eyes, the loosening of mute tongues must all pale.
And there is another that must be mentioned when a list is being compiled of God’s great and wondrous acts in the behalf of the children of men. It was accomplished before the Second Member of the Trinity walked among men. It was performed in response to a grievous need of the Israelites, God’s chosen people.
That one amazing event is found in Joshua where it is recounted that time stood still so the Israelites could gain a victory over their foes. Read here the account of the wonder of the intervention of the God who transcends time but is the Master of time…marvel at the extraordinary length to which the Lord of time will go in the behalf of the need of His people.
In Joshua 10:14 it is recounted of the day, “There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man, because the Lord fought for Israel.” Though He did not don armor and wield a sword in the conflict, the God of Israel, our God, showed Himself strong and mighty by this extraordinary way of partnering with His people.
He still partners with us in amazing ways. No matter how we may be beset by the constraints of time or by the intrusion into our lives of evil circumstances or unbelieving people, we may know that the Christ who is “the same yesterday, today and forever,” Hebrews 13:8 is still able to do “exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think…” Ephesians 3:20. Look for Him at the point of your need and you, like the Israelites of old, will discover that He is still the Master of the extraordinary; like them, you, too will see His glory.
Our God is the Master of the extraordinary. People of faith, theologians, doubters, scoffers have tried to water Him down through the ages, but the fact remains that our God is an awesome God. Whether life and time began as they are detailed in the Biblical book of Genesis or with the ‘big bang’ some scientists theorize triggered the creation of the universe, the event was exceptional.
Amazing though creation may be, we who call ourselves Christians, we who are believers in the salvation provided by the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, would say that the most extraordinary of the miracles performed by our wonder-working God must be the resurrection of the Lord from the tomb on the third day.
This one, well-documented event of history establishes for all time and eternity the single most glorious and significant event in the chronicles of man. In light of the wonder of the resurrection, even the amazing miracles performed by Jesus—the opening of deaf ears, the enlightening of blind eyes, the loosening of mute tongues must all pale.
And there is another that must be mentioned when a list is being compiled of God’s great and wondrous acts in the behalf of the children of men. It was accomplished before the Second Member of the Trinity walked among men. It was performed in response to a grievous need of the Israelites, God’s chosen people.
That one amazing event is found in Joshua where it is recounted that time stood still so the Israelites could gain a victory over their foes. Read here the account of the wonder of the intervention of the God who transcends time but is the Master of time…marvel at the extraordinary length to which the Lord of time will go in the behalf of the need of His people.
In Joshua 10:14 it is recounted of the day, “There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man, because the Lord fought for Israel.” Though He did not don armor and wield a sword in the conflict, the God of Israel, our God, showed Himself strong and mighty by this extraordinary way of partnering with His people.
He still partners with us in amazing ways. No matter how we may be beset by the constraints of time or by the intrusion into our lives of evil circumstances or unbelieving people, we may know that the Christ who is “the same yesterday, today and forever,” Hebrews 13:8 is still able to do “exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think…” Ephesians 3:20. Look for Him at the point of your need and you, like the Israelites of old, will discover that He is still the Master of the extraordinary; like them, you, too will see His glory.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Eternally the Same
December 26
The Lord says of Himself that He is eternally the same. There is no difference in Him from everlasting to everlasting, He is the God who is unchanging. We don’t need to wonder if we are able to behave in a certain way or indulge certain thoughts. His Holy Book, the Bible is very specific as to what is and what is not acceptable to Him.
We don’t need to ponder the meaning of life or the value of the things of life. His unchanging value system has been clearly delineated for our perfect understanding. We who are finite sometimes ponder the meaning of life and the worth of our various experiences in an ever-changing world, but HE holds all things exactly as He has always esteemed them.
Our God, who still speaks to men today, once spoke to me as I challenged Him regarding the inequities that I observed among men. I said to Him, “God, how can You call Yourself ‘fair’ if some men are so rich and some men are so poor? If some men are so healthy while other men are so sick? If some men live long, fruitful lives while other men are snuffed out in their prime?"
I did not expect an answer from Him, but He interjected Himself into my mind with words, that although inaudible and unspoken were imprinted indelibly into my awareness. He said, “Christ is the equalizer.” Then He went on to explain to me exactly what He meant by that assertion.
He said, “The rich man who knows not Christ is impoverished spiritually in the midst of his plenty; the poor may who knows Jesus possesses treasure that is eternal. The well man who doesn’t know Jesus as Savior is suffering from the sickness of sin but can’t see his grievous sickness; the sick man who knows the saving grace of Jesus is whole and well despite the disease that’s destroying his body. The living man who hasn’t met the Giver of Life is dead even as he lives. The dead man who has embraced Jesus is alive for ever-more."
The entirety of God’s value system is embodied in those few words. As Derrek Prince, a godly and brilliant minister of the gospel and missionary to the lost stated very succinctly, “God will never sacrifice one moment of eternity for all of time."
No matter what you may be going through, no matter the condition of your physical body, your God would have you to know that He has not forsaken you; He is caring for your soul. If you are a believer in Christ, you are rich, you are whole, you are eternally alive because He is forever the same!
The Lord says of Himself that He is eternally the same. There is no difference in Him from everlasting to everlasting, He is the God who is unchanging. We don’t need to wonder if we are able to behave in a certain way or indulge certain thoughts. His Holy Book, the Bible is very specific as to what is and what is not acceptable to Him.
We don’t need to ponder the meaning of life or the value of the things of life. His unchanging value system has been clearly delineated for our perfect understanding. We who are finite sometimes ponder the meaning of life and the worth of our various experiences in an ever-changing world, but HE holds all things exactly as He has always esteemed them.
Our God, who still speaks to men today, once spoke to me as I challenged Him regarding the inequities that I observed among men. I said to Him, “God, how can You call Yourself ‘fair’ if some men are so rich and some men are so poor? If some men are so healthy while other men are so sick? If some men live long, fruitful lives while other men are snuffed out in their prime?"
I did not expect an answer from Him, but He interjected Himself into my mind with words, that although inaudible and unspoken were imprinted indelibly into my awareness. He said, “Christ is the equalizer.” Then He went on to explain to me exactly what He meant by that assertion.
He said, “The rich man who knows not Christ is impoverished spiritually in the midst of his plenty; the poor may who knows Jesus possesses treasure that is eternal. The well man who doesn’t know Jesus as Savior is suffering from the sickness of sin but can’t see his grievous sickness; the sick man who knows the saving grace of Jesus is whole and well despite the disease that’s destroying his body. The living man who hasn’t met the Giver of Life is dead even as he lives. The dead man who has embraced Jesus is alive for ever-more."
The entirety of God’s value system is embodied in those few words. As Derrek Prince, a godly and brilliant minister of the gospel and missionary to the lost stated very succinctly, “God will never sacrifice one moment of eternity for all of time."
No matter what you may be going through, no matter the condition of your physical body, your God would have you to know that He has not forsaken you; He is caring for your soul. If you are a believer in Christ, you are rich, you are whole, you are eternally alive because He is forever the same!
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Halleluiah! Joy!
December 25
Merry Christmas!
All around us we see evidence of the reality that we live in a fallen world. Man’s inhumanity to man, subtle in some parts of the planet, is blatant in other quarters where ruthless, demon-possessed men torture and mutilate and murder their brothers who, like them, are fashioned in the likeness of God and made for sweet fellowship with Him.
Everywhere our eyes behold the rich and powerful as they impose their unjust laws and burdensome rule upon their fellow sojourners on planet Earth. It continues as it has been since Cain killed Able. In spite of all our great strides in learning and technology since the first family dwelt in this place, the spirit of man has not changed from the selfish, godless mindset of Cain who slew his brother.
Yet, we know that the celebration of the arrival of the Second Person of the Trinity into our sphere and the joy of His resurrection as He returned to the realm of glory were separated by a life set apart, by a life that was unique among men, because it was lived in the righteousness and holiness that all men were created to live.
What seemed to begin in a stable while his mother was complying with a Roman census requirement—“While they were there, the time came for her to be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn Son” Luke 2:6-7—was actually planned in the corridors of Heaven before time began (Revelation 13:8).
Because Jesus came in the fullness of time, we have the opportunity to receive the gift of salvation He came to bestow upon us. We who abide in this Vale of Tears, we who endure disease and death, we who are oppressed by men who know Him not, we who abide in sorrow because of the ruthless tyranny of the enemy of our souls, KNOW beyond the shadow of doubting that in the fullness of time JESUS WILL COME AGAIN as it was promised in Acts 1:11!
Because His Word is true and His promises are sure, we may sing redounding hallelujahs to His glory even as we wait where evil surrounds us. We may anticipate the joy of His complete triumph over death! We may rejoice in the fact that the Babe of Bethlehem grew to be the Savior who set men free from sin and the grave!
We may rejoice that evil in all its manifestations will be cast into the lake of fire, for JESUS is the King of kings and Lord of lords! For all this and for the promise that we who believe shall dwell with Him eternally, we stand in His strength in the face of all evil.
O, helpless Babe in a manger, we know You are "Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace," Isaiah 9:6. We know Your Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts; we know that as you came as a humble servant the first time, You will come again as the conquering King who will reign forever! HALLELUIAH! JOY!
Merry Christmas!
All around us we see evidence of the reality that we live in a fallen world. Man’s inhumanity to man, subtle in some parts of the planet, is blatant in other quarters where ruthless, demon-possessed men torture and mutilate and murder their brothers who, like them, are fashioned in the likeness of God and made for sweet fellowship with Him.
Everywhere our eyes behold the rich and powerful as they impose their unjust laws and burdensome rule upon their fellow sojourners on planet Earth. It continues as it has been since Cain killed Able. In spite of all our great strides in learning and technology since the first family dwelt in this place, the spirit of man has not changed from the selfish, godless mindset of Cain who slew his brother.
Yet, we know that the celebration of the arrival of the Second Person of the Trinity into our sphere and the joy of His resurrection as He returned to the realm of glory were separated by a life set apart, by a life that was unique among men, because it was lived in the righteousness and holiness that all men were created to live.
What seemed to begin in a stable while his mother was complying with a Roman census requirement—“While they were there, the time came for her to be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn Son” Luke 2:6-7—was actually planned in the corridors of Heaven before time began (Revelation 13:8).
Because Jesus came in the fullness of time, we have the opportunity to receive the gift of salvation He came to bestow upon us. We who abide in this Vale of Tears, we who endure disease and death, we who are oppressed by men who know Him not, we who abide in sorrow because of the ruthless tyranny of the enemy of our souls, KNOW beyond the shadow of doubting that in the fullness of time JESUS WILL COME AGAIN as it was promised in Acts 1:11!
Because His Word is true and His promises are sure, we may sing redounding hallelujahs to His glory even as we wait where evil surrounds us. We may anticipate the joy of His complete triumph over death! We may rejoice in the fact that the Babe of Bethlehem grew to be the Savior who set men free from sin and the grave!
We may rejoice that evil in all its manifestations will be cast into the lake of fire, for JESUS is the King of kings and Lord of lords! For all this and for the promise that we who believe shall dwell with Him eternally, we stand in His strength in the face of all evil.
O, helpless Babe in a manger, we know You are "Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace," Isaiah 9:6. We know Your Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts; we know that as you came as a humble servant the first time, You will come again as the conquering King who will reign forever! HALLELUIAH! JOY!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
We Stand...We Receive
December 24
We stand at the threshold of the celebration of the incarnation—Immanuel, God with us. May we allow our incarnate God, our Savior our Lord, to be the heart of our joy
Most believers have imagined themselves to have been at the Nativity scene. We’ve pondered the wonder of hearing the angel chorus announce the birth of the One who came to be Prince of Peace. We’ve contemplated the amazement of the humble shepherds who were privy to such grand news.
We think of the wise men, indeed wise beyond the knowledge of the astrological signs they analyzed in order to discern the arrival of One highly favored and anointed. This One, they knew, was unique among the potentates born into the realm of man; was worthy of their finest gifts of treasure and of homage.
When we think of how we would have acted or what we would have done, we know we would have been struck with awe and wonder, even as were the shepherds. And like them, we would have heard the angels reassure, “Don’t be afraid, for I bring you good tidings of great joy that is for all people” Luke 2:10.
Perhaps we would have proclaimed as did the elderly father of John the Baptist when he heard the news of Mary’s pregnancy and the imminent birth of the long-awaited One, “Through the tender mercy of our God, the Dayspring from on High has visited us” Luke 1:78. Perhaps we would have rejoiced to have Jesus as our Savior. That joy is still available to anyone who will receive it.
We stand at the threshold of the celebration of the incarnation—Immanuel, God with us. May we allow our incarnate God, our Savior our Lord, to be the heart of our joy
Most believers have imagined themselves to have been at the Nativity scene. We’ve pondered the wonder of hearing the angel chorus announce the birth of the One who came to be Prince of Peace. We’ve contemplated the amazement of the humble shepherds who were privy to such grand news.
We think of the wise men, indeed wise beyond the knowledge of the astrological signs they analyzed in order to discern the arrival of One highly favored and anointed. This One, they knew, was unique among the potentates born into the realm of man; was worthy of their finest gifts of treasure and of homage.
When we think of how we would have acted or what we would have done, we know we would have been struck with awe and wonder, even as were the shepherds. And like them, we would have heard the angels reassure, “Don’t be afraid, for I bring you good tidings of great joy that is for all people” Luke 2:10.
Perhaps we would have proclaimed as did the elderly father of John the Baptist when he heard the news of Mary’s pregnancy and the imminent birth of the long-awaited One, “Through the tender mercy of our God, the Dayspring from on High has visited us” Luke 1:78. Perhaps we would have rejoiced to have Jesus as our Savior. That joy is still available to anyone who will receive it.
Monday, December 23, 2013
For You
December 23
As we approach the night that we celebrate the nativity of the Lord, the night the Second Person of the Trinity entered the world as a Babe and began His trek through human experience, living the sinless life we were incapable of living and vicariously providing restored fellowship with our Heavenly Father, we cannot but think beyond the manger to the cross.
The beautiful Baby, lying in Mary’s arms, held tenderly to her breast would one day be roughly handled by disdainful religious leaders and cruel soldiers. He would endure the mockery of a trial; He would hear those who’d felt the gentle touch of His healing hand cry, “Crucify Him!”
He would bear the reproach of men and He would feel the Father with whom He was One turn away from Him. He would pray to His Father, “All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will but what You will be done” Mark 14:36. Christ bore the pain and the mockery inflicted by men without complaint.
But He anguished at the breech between Himself and His Father who would not look upon Him while He bore our sin upon Himself. (See Habakkuk 1:13). The great cost to Christ as He hung upon the cross, was not the wounds he endured on His back or the crown of thorns that pierced His brow or the nails that bound Him to the tree. He anguished that for the only time in all eternity, He was separated from the Father.
He was separated from the Father for you.
As we approach the night that we celebrate the nativity of the Lord, the night the Second Person of the Trinity entered the world as a Babe and began His trek through human experience, living the sinless life we were incapable of living and vicariously providing restored fellowship with our Heavenly Father, we cannot but think beyond the manger to the cross.
The beautiful Baby, lying in Mary’s arms, held tenderly to her breast would one day be roughly handled by disdainful religious leaders and cruel soldiers. He would endure the mockery of a trial; He would hear those who’d felt the gentle touch of His healing hand cry, “Crucify Him!”
He would bear the reproach of men and He would feel the Father with whom He was One turn away from Him. He would pray to His Father, “All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will but what You will be done” Mark 14:36. Christ bore the pain and the mockery inflicted by men without complaint.
But He anguished at the breech between Himself and His Father who would not look upon Him while He bore our sin upon Himself. (See Habakkuk 1:13). The great cost to Christ as He hung upon the cross, was not the wounds he endured on His back or the crown of thorns that pierced His brow or the nails that bound Him to the tree. He anguished that for the only time in all eternity, He was separated from the Father.
He was separated from the Father for you.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Name Above All Names
December 22
Some of us, even believers, have taken the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in vain. To those who are not inclined toward faith, His name is a mere cuss word in a repertoire of unsavory epithets that are uttered to express disdain for a situation or an individual.
Those who are well-practiced in the blasphemous usage of the “Name that is given above all names, the only Name by which men may be saved” (Acts 4:12) will have a rude awakening one day when the light of truth illumines the darkness in which they have chosen to live their lives.
In Matthew 17:6, we get a preview of the power of that Name, the Name that can save and the Name that can condemn to eternal darkness. Here we get a glimpse of the transfiguration of Jesus. The disciples hear a voice from Heaven declaring that God is well-pleased with His Christ—and these men who had walked with the Lord, “fell face down and were terrified.”
If they who knew Him as companion and brother, they who walked with Him and talked with Him and saw His love extended to the masses fell on their faces in fear and trepidation at the revelation of His glory, we can only shudder to think of the horror of the blasphemer, the hater of God, the mocker of truth when he recognizes Who it is who offered him life and he despised the Gift.
May each of us—saint and sinner alike have opportunity to lay ourselves at the feet of the One who will receive us with mercy—reassess our perception of life and of our self so we may recognize our sin and our need for the Savior.
May we, whether our sin is that of murder or adultery or lying or blasphemy or unbelief turn from our wicked ways and receive the mercy, the grace, the forgiveness, the love of the One who died to set us free from sin, and may we confess in time what every tongue shall confess in eternity, that, “…Jesus Christ is Lord,” Philippians 2:11.
Some of us, even believers, have taken the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in vain. To those who are not inclined toward faith, His name is a mere cuss word in a repertoire of unsavory epithets that are uttered to express disdain for a situation or an individual.
Those who are well-practiced in the blasphemous usage of the “Name that is given above all names, the only Name by which men may be saved” (Acts 4:12) will have a rude awakening one day when the light of truth illumines the darkness in which they have chosen to live their lives.
In Matthew 17:6, we get a preview of the power of that Name, the Name that can save and the Name that can condemn to eternal darkness. Here we get a glimpse of the transfiguration of Jesus. The disciples hear a voice from Heaven declaring that God is well-pleased with His Christ—and these men who had walked with the Lord, “fell face down and were terrified.”
If they who knew Him as companion and brother, they who walked with Him and talked with Him and saw His love extended to the masses fell on their faces in fear and trepidation at the revelation of His glory, we can only shudder to think of the horror of the blasphemer, the hater of God, the mocker of truth when he recognizes Who it is who offered him life and he despised the Gift.
May each of us—saint and sinner alike have opportunity to lay ourselves at the feet of the One who will receive us with mercy—reassess our perception of life and of our self so we may recognize our sin and our need for the Savior.
May we, whether our sin is that of murder or adultery or lying or blasphemy or unbelief turn from our wicked ways and receive the mercy, the grace, the forgiveness, the love of the One who died to set us free from sin, and may we confess in time what every tongue shall confess in eternity, that, “…Jesus Christ is Lord,” Philippians 2:11.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
The Glorious City
December 21
Many immigrants to the United States at the turn of the Twentieth Century came to this country with visions of the splendor of the nation’s cities dancing in their imaginations. Their disappointment must have been great upon their arrival when they found the sprawling urban poverty where they would live.
Oh, yes, they found opportunity here and many of them rose, through their own hard work and ingenuity, to attain the wealth they thought would be available for the taking upon their arrival. But many of their number did not realize the dream—at least not to the degree they’d anticipated.
There is another City whose appearance is described in superlatives. It is the place John saw (Revelation 21:2), of which he said, “I saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.”
There won’t be disappointment upon our arrival to that wondrous place where Christ dwells. There won’t be any ghetto neighborhoods. The Word tells us that the beauty of the place is staggering. The wonder of it pales only by comparison to the glory we will behold when we see Jesus—face to face—in all His royal majesty!
May each of us lay aside anything that would hinder our arrival there at the day He has appointed for us, for we know that sin cannot dwell there. May we rid ourselves of the overt sins of lying and cheating and hating; may we empty ourselves of the covert sins of bitterness and jealousy and self-righteous condemnation of others that we may be filled instead with the love our God manifested to the world when HE emptied HIMSELF of HIS DEITY to become a mere man and dwell among us.
May Philippians 2:6-11 become fully alive to our finite minds and hearts. It says, "Jesus, Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As Jesus emptied Himself of all glory to save us and give us joy and peace and truth and love in this life and in eternity, may we empty ourselves of all malice of spirit that separates us from Him and keeps us from being full of His blessings. As this season of giving is upon us, let us claim the gift of love, the unspeakable gift of salvation (II Corinthians 9:15) that our Lord purchased for us at so great a cost in order that we might allow Him to lavish it upon a needy world through the vessel of our surrendered lives.
And then, we will surely dwell together with Him forever in the glorious New Jerusalem.
Many immigrants to the United States at the turn of the Twentieth Century came to this country with visions of the splendor of the nation’s cities dancing in their imaginations. Their disappointment must have been great upon their arrival when they found the sprawling urban poverty where they would live.
Oh, yes, they found opportunity here and many of them rose, through their own hard work and ingenuity, to attain the wealth they thought would be available for the taking upon their arrival. But many of their number did not realize the dream—at least not to the degree they’d anticipated.
There is another City whose appearance is described in superlatives. It is the place John saw (Revelation 21:2), of which he said, “I saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.”
There won’t be disappointment upon our arrival to that wondrous place where Christ dwells. There won’t be any ghetto neighborhoods. The Word tells us that the beauty of the place is staggering. The wonder of it pales only by comparison to the glory we will behold when we see Jesus—face to face—in all His royal majesty!
May each of us lay aside anything that would hinder our arrival there at the day He has appointed for us, for we know that sin cannot dwell there. May we rid ourselves of the overt sins of lying and cheating and hating; may we empty ourselves of the covert sins of bitterness and jealousy and self-righteous condemnation of others that we may be filled instead with the love our God manifested to the world when HE emptied HIMSELF of HIS DEITY to become a mere man and dwell among us.
May Philippians 2:6-11 become fully alive to our finite minds and hearts. It says, "Jesus, Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As Jesus emptied Himself of all glory to save us and give us joy and peace and truth and love in this life and in eternity, may we empty ourselves of all malice of spirit that separates us from Him and keeps us from being full of His blessings. As this season of giving is upon us, let us claim the gift of love, the unspeakable gift of salvation (II Corinthians 9:15) that our Lord purchased for us at so great a cost in order that we might allow Him to lavish it upon a needy world through the vessel of our surrendered lives.
And then, we will surely dwell together with Him forever in the glorious New Jerusalem.
Friday, December 20, 2013
At the Point of Your need
December 20
Peter. Disciple. Apostle. Hero of the faith. Failure. Perhaps no one embodies the best and the worst of all we who believe endeavor to be and actually are than does Peter, the impetuous one. Than Peter, the one who was quick to declare his resolve to follow Jesus to the end and quick to fall from it.
It is easy to grasp that Peter recognized Jesus was no mere man. A fisherman does not abandon a thriving business to walk the dusty streets of Galilee with an itinerant preacher and sometime carpenter. No, Peter saw there was something beyond the ordinary in Jesus.
And, rightly he should have for he had been present for the miracles. Perhaps a miracle that might have touched him most was the one Jesus did while aboard Peter’s own fishing vessel. The nets were empty after a long night of fishing. Jesus suggested that Peter have his crew drop the net on the other side of the boat.
Illogical? Yes, but Peter said, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night long and have caught nothing, but at Your word, I’ll let down the net.” The net nearly broke with the size of the catch! (Luke 5:5). Jesus does the same for us. When He wants to really make us grasp the magnitude of who He is, He touches us where we are. So, expect a miracle at the point of your need.
Peter. Disciple. Apostle. Hero of the faith. Failure. Perhaps no one embodies the best and the worst of all we who believe endeavor to be and actually are than does Peter, the impetuous one. Than Peter, the one who was quick to declare his resolve to follow Jesus to the end and quick to fall from it.
It is easy to grasp that Peter recognized Jesus was no mere man. A fisherman does not abandon a thriving business to walk the dusty streets of Galilee with an itinerant preacher and sometime carpenter. No, Peter saw there was something beyond the ordinary in Jesus.
And, rightly he should have for he had been present for the miracles. Perhaps a miracle that might have touched him most was the one Jesus did while aboard Peter’s own fishing vessel. The nets were empty after a long night of fishing. Jesus suggested that Peter have his crew drop the net on the other side of the boat.
Illogical? Yes, but Peter said, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night long and have caught nothing, but at Your word, I’ll let down the net.” The net nearly broke with the size of the catch! (Luke 5:5). Jesus does the same for us. When He wants to really make us grasp the magnitude of who He is, He touches us where we are. So, expect a miracle at the point of your need.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
And You...?
December 19
God has allowed man no latitude for boasting of himself. Oh, that is not to say that unregenerate man is not boastful and proud in his own conceit. That is not to say that even among the redeemed there are not those whose estimation of themselves is far too high. That is to say, GOD has allowed man no latitude for boasting for we are nothing; He is everything.
John the Baptist stated it quite succinctly in John 3:30. John had been baptizing in the Jordan River. Jesus approached him to be baptized. The Baptizer initially refused saying that it was he who needed to be baptized by Jesus. Although Jesus was immersed by John as a springboard to His ministry, the conclusion John reached was one all who profess faith in Christ must come to: “He must increase; I must decrease.”
God loves man and has given His “unspeakable Gift,” II Corinthians 9:15, for man but that is because God loves, not because man is worthy. When Jesus, Heaven’s sinless perfection, came and took the punishment upon Himself that sinful man deserves, it was a complete exchange.
Holiness overcame evil for every man who would be willing to exchange his sin and failure for the Lord’s perfect righteousness. As Paul says in Titus 3:7, “Having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.” We lay aside all that we are and receive all that He is.
We forsake our earthly treasure and receive to ourselves His eternal reward. If our eyes are consumed with the things of life, we may feel we give up something to become His heirs; but if we see life as the vapor that it is, we know we have lost nothing. We who are nothing and have nothing, have gained all.
The eyes of sinful man are unable to see that truth. The earthbound man whose eyes are fixed upon and enthralled with the faux gold of earth cannot see glory of Heaven’s treasure. As I John 2:16 says, “Everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life come not from God…”
When we are consumed with the things of earth because our pride demands that we have them or at least strive to attain them, we cannot truly appropriate the things of Heaven. When we have “denied ourselves, taken up our cross and followed Jesus according to Matthew 16:24 and Luke 9:23, it is then that our focus can be fully upon the Lord and His plan for us and upon our goal of Heaven.
Until then, we can only be like the rich young ruler (see Mark 10:17-27) who was fascinated by the treasure of Heaven but unwilling to relinquish the wealth of earth to attain it. Where do we stand? Where do you stand? Where do I stand as regards pride in what I have or who I am in the eyes of the world? Do I care for the things that are fleeting away or do I care for the things that are eternal? And you…?
God has allowed man no latitude for boasting of himself. Oh, that is not to say that unregenerate man is not boastful and proud in his own conceit. That is not to say that even among the redeemed there are not those whose estimation of themselves is far too high. That is to say, GOD has allowed man no latitude for boasting for we are nothing; He is everything.
John the Baptist stated it quite succinctly in John 3:30. John had been baptizing in the Jordan River. Jesus approached him to be baptized. The Baptizer initially refused saying that it was he who needed to be baptized by Jesus. Although Jesus was immersed by John as a springboard to His ministry, the conclusion John reached was one all who profess faith in Christ must come to: “He must increase; I must decrease.”
God loves man and has given His “unspeakable Gift,” II Corinthians 9:15, for man but that is because God loves, not because man is worthy. When Jesus, Heaven’s sinless perfection, came and took the punishment upon Himself that sinful man deserves, it was a complete exchange.
Holiness overcame evil for every man who would be willing to exchange his sin and failure for the Lord’s perfect righteousness. As Paul says in Titus 3:7, “Having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.” We lay aside all that we are and receive all that He is.
We forsake our earthly treasure and receive to ourselves His eternal reward. If our eyes are consumed with the things of life, we may feel we give up something to become His heirs; but if we see life as the vapor that it is, we know we have lost nothing. We who are nothing and have nothing, have gained all.
The eyes of sinful man are unable to see that truth. The earthbound man whose eyes are fixed upon and enthralled with the faux gold of earth cannot see glory of Heaven’s treasure. As I John 2:16 says, “Everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life come not from God…”
When we are consumed with the things of earth because our pride demands that we have them or at least strive to attain them, we cannot truly appropriate the things of Heaven. When we have “denied ourselves, taken up our cross and followed Jesus according to Matthew 16:24 and Luke 9:23, it is then that our focus can be fully upon the Lord and His plan for us and upon our goal of Heaven.
Until then, we can only be like the rich young ruler (see Mark 10:17-27) who was fascinated by the treasure of Heaven but unwilling to relinquish the wealth of earth to attain it. Where do we stand? Where do you stand? Where do I stand as regards pride in what I have or who I am in the eyes of the world? Do I care for the things that are fleeting away or do I care for the things that are eternal? And you…?
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
I AM the Lord; I Change Not
December 18
The God we serve is faithful. He is the God of integrity and honor. He is the God of truth and justice. His Word is yea and amen. There is no variance in His decrees. What He said long ago (Psalm 40:1-20, I John 1:9) is viable today. The commands that He gave to Moses when he led the Israelites out of bondage, He expects us to follow today.
God does not change His mind. He does not have a ‘light bulb moment’ when He comes up with a better idea. He doesn’t reconsider His law and say to Himself, ‘Gee, I wish I had stated that another way.’ No. His way is perfect. It has always been perfect; Jesus is the Living Word (John 1:1) and He is perfect (James 1:17).
The psalmist said of Him in Psalm 25:10, “All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep His covenants and decrees.” If there is any time that the veracity of the Lord’s honor, the essence of His being is not visible to us, it is either because our eyes are veiled and our understanding is darkened or because we have somehow reneged on our part of the covenant. We deceive ourselves if we think HE could fail in any way to uphold His holy decrees
If we are honest with ourselves, we will acknowledge that we have failed to keep His covenants. We have gone back on our portion of the agreement between ourselves and our Holy God. But we also know that Jesus has washed us clean of all our sin and failure. As was prophesied in Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins be scarlet, they shall be washed white as snow.”
We can be restored to right fellowship with our Holy God through our Lord and Savior; and we can enjoy the fruit of His steadfast faithfulness. May His Holy Spirit help us to see our need and bring us to the foot of the cross for cleansing. May He abide in our hearts and allow us the sweet fellowship of daily communion with Him (II Corinthians 3:16, II Timothy 1:14) as He teaches us all things (John 14:26).
May we worship before Him and praise Him for His steadfastness, His faithful integrity, and His great provision in our behalf that enables us to partake of His goodness and mercy and faithfulness and truth. Thank Him for the power of His love that paid for all we have access to through the cross of Jesus.
The God we serve is faithful. He is the God of integrity and honor. He is the God of truth and justice. His Word is yea and amen. There is no variance in His decrees. What He said long ago (Psalm 40:1-20, I John 1:9) is viable today. The commands that He gave to Moses when he led the Israelites out of bondage, He expects us to follow today.
God does not change His mind. He does not have a ‘light bulb moment’ when He comes up with a better idea. He doesn’t reconsider His law and say to Himself, ‘Gee, I wish I had stated that another way.’ No. His way is perfect. It has always been perfect; Jesus is the Living Word (John 1:1) and He is perfect (James 1:17).
The psalmist said of Him in Psalm 25:10, “All the Lord’s ways show faithful love and truth to those who keep His covenants and decrees.” If there is any time that the veracity of the Lord’s honor, the essence of His being is not visible to us, it is either because our eyes are veiled and our understanding is darkened or because we have somehow reneged on our part of the covenant. We deceive ourselves if we think HE could fail in any way to uphold His holy decrees
If we are honest with ourselves, we will acknowledge that we have failed to keep His covenants. We have gone back on our portion of the agreement between ourselves and our Holy God. But we also know that Jesus has washed us clean of all our sin and failure. As was prophesied in Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins be scarlet, they shall be washed white as snow.”
We can be restored to right fellowship with our Holy God through our Lord and Savior; and we can enjoy the fruit of His steadfast faithfulness. May His Holy Spirit help us to see our need and bring us to the foot of the cross for cleansing. May He abide in our hearts and allow us the sweet fellowship of daily communion with Him (II Corinthians 3:16, II Timothy 1:14) as He teaches us all things (John 14:26).
May we worship before Him and praise Him for His steadfastness, His faithful integrity, and His great provision in our behalf that enables us to partake of His goodness and mercy and faithfulness and truth. Thank Him for the power of His love that paid for all we have access to through the cross of Jesus.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Too Busy?
December 17
Busy, busy, busy, busy!!!! We have so many things to do. We have so many places to go. We have so much responsibility that we wonder at times if we shall ever be able to manage all that we have taken upon ourselves. Sometimes, we allow ourselves to be imposed upon by other people. Sometimes our hyper activity reflects our own choices—our own compulsion to maintain a frenetic pace.
The Word of God tells us that we are indeed to do everything with which we are charged as though we were doing it for the Lord. In Colossians 3:23, Paul is quite emphatic that we are not to give short shrift to any task to which we have committed ourselves. The question then becomes, to what tasks should we commit ourselves?
We have great responsibilities. We have families to support and jobs to perform and careers to manage. We have relationships that require the investment of not only our time but our heart. We cannot neglect the people within the sphere of our influence who are depending upon us. In I Timothy 5:8 it is stated quite clearly, “He who neglects his own is worse than an infidel.”
Yet there is but one task with which the Word charges us and that is found in Mark 12:30. Here Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength.” He knows if we do that, we will not neglect to hear Him guide us into other areas of responsibility to which He desires that we go, nor will we neglect those precious people to whom we owe due diligence in living God’s truth before them.
Verse 31 goes on to state that clearly, “…and love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater command than this” In Luke 10: 25-37, Jesus, when asked, “Who is my neighbor?” responds by telling the story of the traveler who was beaten and robbed along the side of a road.
A religious man walked right past him without offering help, as did another ‘devout’ individual. Then a despised Samaritan approached. This individual stopped, cleaned the victim’s wounds, placed him on his own donkey and took him to an inn where he paid for his care.
Jesus made it clear that the ‘neighbor’ was the man who extended help in the time of need. He made it clear that this is God’s expectation of us. When we become a true, loving neighbor to the needy among us, we are extending the Lord’s hand of love to them. We are allowing our lives to become “living epistles, read of all men,” II Corinthians 3:2.
When we’re truly surrendered to the Christ we profess to love, we won’t be too busy to extend Him to those around us. We won’t be too busy to love as He loves.
Busy, busy, busy, busy!!!! We have so many things to do. We have so many places to go. We have so much responsibility that we wonder at times if we shall ever be able to manage all that we have taken upon ourselves. Sometimes, we allow ourselves to be imposed upon by other people. Sometimes our hyper activity reflects our own choices—our own compulsion to maintain a frenetic pace.
The Word of God tells us that we are indeed to do everything with which we are charged as though we were doing it for the Lord. In Colossians 3:23, Paul is quite emphatic that we are not to give short shrift to any task to which we have committed ourselves. The question then becomes, to what tasks should we commit ourselves?
We have great responsibilities. We have families to support and jobs to perform and careers to manage. We have relationships that require the investment of not only our time but our heart. We cannot neglect the people within the sphere of our influence who are depending upon us. In I Timothy 5:8 it is stated quite clearly, “He who neglects his own is worse than an infidel.”
Yet there is but one task with which the Word charges us and that is found in Mark 12:30. Here Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength.” He knows if we do that, we will not neglect to hear Him guide us into other areas of responsibility to which He desires that we go, nor will we neglect those precious people to whom we owe due diligence in living God’s truth before them.
Verse 31 goes on to state that clearly, “…and love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater command than this” In Luke 10: 25-37, Jesus, when asked, “Who is my neighbor?” responds by telling the story of the traveler who was beaten and robbed along the side of a road.
A religious man walked right past him without offering help, as did another ‘devout’ individual. Then a despised Samaritan approached. This individual stopped, cleaned the victim’s wounds, placed him on his own donkey and took him to an inn where he paid for his care.
Jesus made it clear that the ‘neighbor’ was the man who extended help in the time of need. He made it clear that this is God’s expectation of us. When we become a true, loving neighbor to the needy among us, we are extending the Lord’s hand of love to them. We are allowing our lives to become “living epistles, read of all men,” II Corinthians 3:2.
When we’re truly surrendered to the Christ we profess to love, we won’t be too busy to extend Him to those around us. We won’t be too busy to love as He loves.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Satisfied and Filled
December 16
Satisfied. Filled. Most of us who have been blessed to have been born in Twentieth/Twenty-first Century America have never had to contemplate the significance of these two words. We take them for granted because we have never been without the benefit of them.
We have never experienced starvation. In fact, we use the word glibly… how many of us have said, “I’m starving,” to indicate we were ready for our next meal? Most of us have said, “I don’t have a thing to wear,” even as our closets are stuffed with clothing for all seasons.
Oh, yes, we may have had our ups and downs in life, we’ve endured our share of sickness and loss and disappointed hopes, but we have never had to grovel in poverty; we have never known stomach-wrenching hunger. When it has come to life’s basic needs, we have been satisfied and filled.
Psalm 107:9 says, “He has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things.” We in the modern West tend to associate that statement with economic abundance. We claim the prosperity gospel that suggests all believers should abound in temporal wealth. Yet, there is a far deeper, more profound essence to David’s words.
Remember who David was. The young shepherd boy who tended his father’s flock and ran errands for his older brothers would grow up to become Israel’s King. David would route armies and build cities and control great wealth, but when he was a shepherd, he knew lack, he experienced the cold of night, the dread of loss, the fear of the unknown.
It seems then that what the Lord God is promising here is not that our stomachs or our coffers will always be full, but that we may enjoy the abundance of satisfaction that comes when our spirits are overflowing within us! No matter what our external circumstances may be, we may abound in the fruit of His presence—love, joy, peace, patience—the fruit of His Spirit found in Galatians 5:22.
And we may overflow with faith, “without which it is impossible to please Him,” Hebrews 11:6, “for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” We will overflow with a faith that assures our complete provision of spirit for time and eternity. Our spirits will be satisfied and filled.
Satisfied. Filled. Most of us who have been blessed to have been born in Twentieth/Twenty-first Century America have never had to contemplate the significance of these two words. We take them for granted because we have never been without the benefit of them.
We have never experienced starvation. In fact, we use the word glibly… how many of us have said, “I’m starving,” to indicate we were ready for our next meal? Most of us have said, “I don’t have a thing to wear,” even as our closets are stuffed with clothing for all seasons.
Oh, yes, we may have had our ups and downs in life, we’ve endured our share of sickness and loss and disappointed hopes, but we have never had to grovel in poverty; we have never known stomach-wrenching hunger. When it has come to life’s basic needs, we have been satisfied and filled.
Psalm 107:9 says, “He has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things.” We in the modern West tend to associate that statement with economic abundance. We claim the prosperity gospel that suggests all believers should abound in temporal wealth. Yet, there is a far deeper, more profound essence to David’s words.
Remember who David was. The young shepherd boy who tended his father’s flock and ran errands for his older brothers would grow up to become Israel’s King. David would route armies and build cities and control great wealth, but when he was a shepherd, he knew lack, he experienced the cold of night, the dread of loss, the fear of the unknown.
It seems then that what the Lord God is promising here is not that our stomachs or our coffers will always be full, but that we may enjoy the abundance of satisfaction that comes when our spirits are overflowing within us! No matter what our external circumstances may be, we may abound in the fruit of His presence—love, joy, peace, patience—the fruit of His Spirit found in Galatians 5:22.
And we may overflow with faith, “without which it is impossible to please Him,” Hebrews 11:6, “for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” We will overflow with a faith that assures our complete provision of spirit for time and eternity. Our spirits will be satisfied and filled.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Who Is Jesus?
December 15
We profess our belief in Jesus. Most people who have heard of Him affirm that He was ‘a good man.’ They believe He exemplified principles of interaction between men that, if they were to be followed, would allow peace to reign upon the earth.
Some attest that He was a prophet, a man sent by God to lay the groundwork for the purposes of the Most High to be fulfilled. Jesus had a word for Peter when he listed men’s varying perceptions of Him. Jesus asked him, “But who do you say that I am?” (See Matthew 16:13-20)
We who call ourselves Christians, we who are born again, take belief a step further to embrace the Biblical declaration of who Jesus is. We acknowledge that He is the righteous Son of our Holy God—the One who sacrificed Himself to redeem mankind from sin.
We further accept the Christian doctrine that there is “no other name given under heaven whereby men might be saved,” Acts 4:12. If an individual is to see God, if one is to dwell eternally in the glorious realm of Heaven, he must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In the world you shall have persecution, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” In John 15:18, He says, “If the world hates Me, it will also hate you.” II Timothy 2:12 acknowledges that suffering may follow us if we believe in Him, but that if we suffer for His sake, we shall also reign with Him.
Proponents of the ‘prosperity gospel’ would have us to believe that in accepting Jesus, our lives will become a ‘bed of roses,’ but this flies in the face of what HE says about our lot in life if we place our lives at His feet. He lets us know that we will be going against the grain of the world’s mindset and the world’s values if we embrace Him.
He tells us that the world will be antagonistic toward us if we choose the “narrow path” that leads to life rather than the world’s broad path that leads to destruction (see Matthew 7:13). Though persecution may come (for some reading this, it has already come) His promise is, “If you endure to the end, you shall receive a crown of life,” Matthew 24:13, James 1:12, Revelation 2:10.
If we believe Jesus is God incarnate, we know that no matter what we endure in this life because of our belief, we shall enjoy the glories of Heaven eternally; all our trials assure us that we, like Stephen, the first Christian martyr, will see Jesus rise from His throne to meet us when we arrive at our home in glory! (See Acts 6:8-15 and 7:1-60.)
We profess our belief in Jesus. Most people who have heard of Him affirm that He was ‘a good man.’ They believe He exemplified principles of interaction between men that, if they were to be followed, would allow peace to reign upon the earth.
Some attest that He was a prophet, a man sent by God to lay the groundwork for the purposes of the Most High to be fulfilled. Jesus had a word for Peter when he listed men’s varying perceptions of Him. Jesus asked him, “But who do you say that I am?” (See Matthew 16:13-20)
We who call ourselves Christians, we who are born again, take belief a step further to embrace the Biblical declaration of who Jesus is. We acknowledge that He is the righteous Son of our Holy God—the One who sacrificed Himself to redeem mankind from sin.
We further accept the Christian doctrine that there is “no other name given under heaven whereby men might be saved,” Acts 4:12. If an individual is to see God, if one is to dwell eternally in the glorious realm of Heaven, he must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In the world you shall have persecution, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” In John 15:18, He says, “If the world hates Me, it will also hate you.” II Timothy 2:12 acknowledges that suffering may follow us if we believe in Him, but that if we suffer for His sake, we shall also reign with Him.
Proponents of the ‘prosperity gospel’ would have us to believe that in accepting Jesus, our lives will become a ‘bed of roses,’ but this flies in the face of what HE says about our lot in life if we place our lives at His feet. He lets us know that we will be going against the grain of the world’s mindset and the world’s values if we embrace Him.
He tells us that the world will be antagonistic toward us if we choose the “narrow path” that leads to life rather than the world’s broad path that leads to destruction (see Matthew 7:13). Though persecution may come (for some reading this, it has already come) His promise is, “If you endure to the end, you shall receive a crown of life,” Matthew 24:13, James 1:12, Revelation 2:10.
If we believe Jesus is God incarnate, we know that no matter what we endure in this life because of our belief, we shall enjoy the glories of Heaven eternally; all our trials assure us that we, like Stephen, the first Christian martyr, will see Jesus rise from His throne to meet us when we arrive at our home in glory! (See Acts 6:8-15 and 7:1-60.)
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Have It All
December 14
What does man truly desire from life? Certainly, it would be wonderful to ‘have it all,’ yet that illusory prize is not extended to many of us. Though we may not be the leader of the free world or the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize or the holder of an Academy Award, we do indeed desire to make our mark.
We want our voice to be heard amidst the cacophony of claims and counter-claims regarding various religious and political views. We want to promote our point of view within the limited scope of our influence because we believe it has merit, that others will be advantaged if they embrace it.
So we endeavor within our small circle of influence to impact the world around us. If we esteem the Christ and desire to serve His Kingdom’s purposes, we will render to Him the best service we can. If we believe that the natural man must serve an eternal purpose, that we “are bought with a price and we are not our own,” I Corinthians 6:19, 20, our gifts will be surrendered to Jesus.
We will stand on the promise found in II Corinthians 9:8 that says, “God is able to make every grace abound to you, so that in every way, in all things, you will have everything you need in order to excel.” We don’t have to strive for ascendency; we need only to rely upon the God who assures us we will accomplish all HE sets before us to be and to do.
Our life’s purpose will transcend the illusionary accomplishments of time and transcend the temporary accomplishments of holding the reins of power or winning the world’s prizes.
Our life’s purpose will embrace the plan set in place by our Triune Majesty on High in Revelation 13:8 which reveals His plan to provide a Savior for His fallen world; a Savior who will be the “lamb slain from the foundation of the earth.”
When our energy taps into the desire of the heart of God, then we will be in a position to reap the blessings of the eternal harvest, to enjoy the fruit that does not merely satisfy for a moment but fulfills the everlasting expectation that is planted in the heart of every believer which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” Colossians 1:7.
When the person of faith has arrived at that point, is satisfied in that expectation, he will know that he indeed ‘has it all,’ that “every word of the promise is true” Proverbs 30:5 NLT, and it is true for him because he believes in the One who “cannot lie,” Titus 1:2. May we embrace the entirety of His truth that the entirety of His truth may prosper in us.
What does man truly desire from life? Certainly, it would be wonderful to ‘have it all,’ yet that illusory prize is not extended to many of us. Though we may not be the leader of the free world or the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize or the holder of an Academy Award, we do indeed desire to make our mark.
We want our voice to be heard amidst the cacophony of claims and counter-claims regarding various religious and political views. We want to promote our point of view within the limited scope of our influence because we believe it has merit, that others will be advantaged if they embrace it.
So we endeavor within our small circle of influence to impact the world around us. If we esteem the Christ and desire to serve His Kingdom’s purposes, we will render to Him the best service we can. If we believe that the natural man must serve an eternal purpose, that we “are bought with a price and we are not our own,” I Corinthians 6:19, 20, our gifts will be surrendered to Jesus.
We will stand on the promise found in II Corinthians 9:8 that says, “God is able to make every grace abound to you, so that in every way, in all things, you will have everything you need in order to excel.” We don’t have to strive for ascendency; we need only to rely upon the God who assures us we will accomplish all HE sets before us to be and to do.
Our life’s purpose will transcend the illusionary accomplishments of time and transcend the temporary accomplishments of holding the reins of power or winning the world’s prizes.
Our life’s purpose will embrace the plan set in place by our Triune Majesty on High in Revelation 13:8 which reveals His plan to provide a Savior for His fallen world; a Savior who will be the “lamb slain from the foundation of the earth.”
When our energy taps into the desire of the heart of God, then we will be in a position to reap the blessings of the eternal harvest, to enjoy the fruit that does not merely satisfy for a moment but fulfills the everlasting expectation that is planted in the heart of every believer which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” Colossians 1:7.
When the person of faith has arrived at that point, is satisfied in that expectation, he will know that he indeed ‘has it all,’ that “every word of the promise is true” Proverbs 30:5 NLT, and it is true for him because he believes in the One who “cannot lie,” Titus 1:2. May we embrace the entirety of His truth that the entirety of His truth may prosper in us.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Motives
December 13
It is an observable, if not measurable phenomenon that it is often the people who know the least regarding a matter who virtually demand to be in charge. To put this mindset into a 'spiritual nutshell', we could say that this type of individual is concerned about his own aggrandizement more than he is in the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.
Stated another way, if the person in question is a Christian, he is following Christ for the loaves and fishes. Rather than being drawn by the prospect of knowing the Lord of all the universe intimately, the individual desires to have all he can attain by walking with the One who has all power to supply all things.
Unbelievable as that concept seems, indeed, it is true. Some of us who name the name of the Lord Jesus are followers because of the advantage we attain for doing so rather than because we have allowed Him to be Lord of our lives.
In I Timothy 1:7, Paul says to his spiritual son, “They want to be teachers of the law although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting upon.” Because human nature doesn’t change apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, this observation is still true today. Some who profess faith in Jesus are very desirous of holding positions of authority within the body.
They enjoy being on the board or counseling new Christians or expounding their purported wisdom, but it is for their own aggrandizement not for the glory of Christ that they volunteer their service. Mere observers of men’s actions cannot rightly judge their motives, but God sees hearts. May we assure that what He sees in us flows from genuine love for Jesus.
It is an observable, if not measurable phenomenon that it is often the people who know the least regarding a matter who virtually demand to be in charge. To put this mindset into a 'spiritual nutshell', we could say that this type of individual is concerned about his own aggrandizement more than he is in the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.
Stated another way, if the person in question is a Christian, he is following Christ for the loaves and fishes. Rather than being drawn by the prospect of knowing the Lord of all the universe intimately, the individual desires to have all he can attain by walking with the One who has all power to supply all things.
Unbelievable as that concept seems, indeed, it is true. Some of us who name the name of the Lord Jesus are followers because of the advantage we attain for doing so rather than because we have allowed Him to be Lord of our lives.
In I Timothy 1:7, Paul says to his spiritual son, “They want to be teachers of the law although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting upon.” Because human nature doesn’t change apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, this observation is still true today. Some who profess faith in Jesus are very desirous of holding positions of authority within the body.
They enjoy being on the board or counseling new Christians or expounding their purported wisdom, but it is for their own aggrandizement not for the glory of Christ that they volunteer their service. Mere observers of men’s actions cannot rightly judge their motives, but God sees hearts. May we assure that what He sees in us flows from genuine love for Jesus.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Impeccable Credentials
December 12
Would anyone enter an apple orchard with the hope of harvesting tomatoes? Do shoppers go into a grocery store to purchase a new car? Can we expect a real estate agent to serve the needs of someone injured in an accident? Silly questions.
When assistance is needed, the corresponding source of supply must be sought. We must ascertain the credentials of an individual to determine whether he has the skills and the resources to provide our need. A painter who specializes in single-level dwellings is not someone who we’d hire to paint a multi-story building.
When Jesus walked the dusty roads of Palestine, He acquired a reputation. He was known as One who not only did good among the needy but also as One who possessed extraordinary power. The people of the countryside round about knew that if they could but be in His presence, their needs would be fully met. So they flocked to Him. One such individual was a man who had been blind from birth.
When he received his sight from Jesus, the religious leaders of the day who continually found fault with the Lord said he had been healed by an evil man. Rather than argue, the healed man simply said, “Whether or not He’s a sinner, I don’t know. But I do know that once I was blind and now I see,” John 9:25.
We, like that wise beggar, must recognize that our faith will at times be challenged. When it is, like him, we must simply allow the evidence to speak for itself. That may not be easily done if we have but a perfunctory faith, a faith that is based on tradition. If our faith is personal, as was the blind beggar's, we will not be shaken from our confidence in the One with whom we have a steadfast relationship.
Jesus does not wish to stand on the periphery of our lives as an observer who monitors our behavior and judges us on the merit of our words and deeds, rather, He would be at the heart of our lives! He says in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him and he with Me.”
Jesus desires intimacy with His people. He wants to dine with them. He wants to guide their lives. He wants to guard their lives. He wants to meet them at the point of their every need.
Will you allow Him to be all He yearns to be to you? Will you open your life fully to the sweetness of His presence? In good times and in the trials of life, He will be “the Friend who sticks closer than a brother,” Proverbs 18:24; He will be the One who will “never fail you nor forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5.
In Deuteronomy 31:6, 8, He is even more specific. Here He says not only that He will not fail or forsake His people, but also that they need fear not oppression because He is with them. Can we embrace to ourselves the intimacy of the God who loves us this much? His love is unfailing, His Word is immutable. His credentials are impeccable.
Would anyone enter an apple orchard with the hope of harvesting tomatoes? Do shoppers go into a grocery store to purchase a new car? Can we expect a real estate agent to serve the needs of someone injured in an accident? Silly questions.
When assistance is needed, the corresponding source of supply must be sought. We must ascertain the credentials of an individual to determine whether he has the skills and the resources to provide our need. A painter who specializes in single-level dwellings is not someone who we’d hire to paint a multi-story building.
When Jesus walked the dusty roads of Palestine, He acquired a reputation. He was known as One who not only did good among the needy but also as One who possessed extraordinary power. The people of the countryside round about knew that if they could but be in His presence, their needs would be fully met. So they flocked to Him. One such individual was a man who had been blind from birth.
When he received his sight from Jesus, the religious leaders of the day who continually found fault with the Lord said he had been healed by an evil man. Rather than argue, the healed man simply said, “Whether or not He’s a sinner, I don’t know. But I do know that once I was blind and now I see,” John 9:25.
We, like that wise beggar, must recognize that our faith will at times be challenged. When it is, like him, we must simply allow the evidence to speak for itself. That may not be easily done if we have but a perfunctory faith, a faith that is based on tradition. If our faith is personal, as was the blind beggar's, we will not be shaken from our confidence in the One with whom we have a steadfast relationship.
Jesus does not wish to stand on the periphery of our lives as an observer who monitors our behavior and judges us on the merit of our words and deeds, rather, He would be at the heart of our lives! He says in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him and he with Me.”
Jesus desires intimacy with His people. He wants to dine with them. He wants to guide their lives. He wants to guard their lives. He wants to meet them at the point of their every need.
Will you allow Him to be all He yearns to be to you? Will you open your life fully to the sweetness of His presence? In good times and in the trials of life, He will be “the Friend who sticks closer than a brother,” Proverbs 18:24; He will be the One who will “never fail you nor forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5.
In Deuteronomy 31:6, 8, He is even more specific. Here He says not only that He will not fail or forsake His people, but also that they need fear not oppression because He is with them. Can we embrace to ourselves the intimacy of the God who loves us this much? His love is unfailing, His Word is immutable. His credentials are impeccable.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
An Abounding Harvest
December 11
It is the nature of man to desire some acknowledgement, if not reward, for the labor upon which he expends himself. Whether the work that is done is tedious and frustrating or stimulating and challenging, it is worthwhile in the end if there is some recognition, if just a simple, ‘Thank you,’ from those who have benefited from it.
Often, however, there are no thanks given at the conclusion of a task. It is an unfortunate reality of the nature of man that diligent effort often goes unnoticed, but one certain way to gain the attention of the people round about, is to perform a colossal blunder!
To gain a reward, therefore, is not a sure thing—except in the spiritual realm. The God we serve, the One in whose harvest field we labor to reap souls for the Kingdom of Christ, is mindful of the labor of love that we perform. It is not that our goal is to attain recognition. Rather, it is our hearts’ longing to see many lost souls brought from darkness to the Light of Christ.
Many missionaries leave the comfort of home and the love of family and friends to travel to far-flung corners of the earth so the gospel message can be shared with those who have not been privileged to hear, following Christ’s admonition to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” Mark 16:15.
Why would anyone do that? It is because he takes seriously the following verse, Mark 16:16, “…for he who hears and believes will be saved but he who rejects the truth will be lost.” For the sake of one lost soul that might hear the truth and live, a missionary will leave all that is precious to him that he might endeavor to achieve what is precious to God—the salvation of the lost.
And as a by-product of his labor of love for the Savior he is promised a reward. Hebrews 6:10 states very clearly that, “He will not forget your work and the love you show for His name when you continually serve the saints.”
Because He loves us, it is His desire to reward our service in the behalf of His Kingdom and His people. The believer who spends himself on the gospel of Christ will reap an abounding harvest (see Mark 10:29, 31).
It is the nature of man to desire some acknowledgement, if not reward, for the labor upon which he expends himself. Whether the work that is done is tedious and frustrating or stimulating and challenging, it is worthwhile in the end if there is some recognition, if just a simple, ‘Thank you,’ from those who have benefited from it.
Often, however, there are no thanks given at the conclusion of a task. It is an unfortunate reality of the nature of man that diligent effort often goes unnoticed, but one certain way to gain the attention of the people round about, is to perform a colossal blunder!
To gain a reward, therefore, is not a sure thing—except in the spiritual realm. The God we serve, the One in whose harvest field we labor to reap souls for the Kingdom of Christ, is mindful of the labor of love that we perform. It is not that our goal is to attain recognition. Rather, it is our hearts’ longing to see many lost souls brought from darkness to the Light of Christ.
Many missionaries leave the comfort of home and the love of family and friends to travel to far-flung corners of the earth so the gospel message can be shared with those who have not been privileged to hear, following Christ’s admonition to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” Mark 16:15.
Why would anyone do that? It is because he takes seriously the following verse, Mark 16:16, “…for he who hears and believes will be saved but he who rejects the truth will be lost.” For the sake of one lost soul that might hear the truth and live, a missionary will leave all that is precious to him that he might endeavor to achieve what is precious to God—the salvation of the lost.
And as a by-product of his labor of love for the Savior he is promised a reward. Hebrews 6:10 states very clearly that, “He will not forget your work and the love you show for His name when you continually serve the saints.”
Because He loves us, it is His desire to reward our service in the behalf of His Kingdom and His people. The believer who spends himself on the gospel of Christ will reap an abounding harvest (see Mark 10:29, 31).
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Scatter the Seeds
December 10
The garden of life flourishes with fruit. Each of God’s children has harvested much from the lush fare of life. The Master Gardener has withheld nothing from those who believe in His name, yet there may be inconsistencies among us that make us question the fairness of how His fruits are distributed.
There is a reason believers are admonished by the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 10:12, “They who compare themselves among themselves are not wise.” When we allow ourselves to assess our lot in life with that of another, we will surely find ourselves to be advantaged in some areas and disadvantaged in others.
But the most unfortunate aspect of this profitless enterprise is that when we indulge the futility of comparison, we allow ourselves to become distracted from our main purpose—that of sharing His salvation message with the lost.
We are to allow the Holy Spirit to conform us into the image of Christ; we are to reflect Him more and more; we are to win others to Him by the light of His truth that we allow to shine in our lives. We are to be the reflection of Christ to the lost.
We are to so live before our Lord that we may, as stated in Isaiah 61:3, “…be called trees of righteousness, planted by the Lord, to glorify Him.” We must recognize that we possess no righteousness of our own, that we are like other men. We know nothing good dwells within us, yet, when Jesus lives in our hearts, our lives become a reflection of His goodness.
When we shine His love and truth and salvation through the living epistle of our lives, everyone whose life touches ours may see the fruit our lives bear and everyone whose life touches ours may feast upon that fruit. Love, truth, goodness, mercy, honor, kindness, hope, faith (see Galatians 5:22, 23)—all the things that Jesus is—become evident in us and we distribute them as He gives opportunity.
We share the wonderful fruit of the Spirit that He has nurtured in us among the lost so they, too, may taste and eat and be blessed. The precious outcome will be that they will partake of the fruit of salvation; that they will then become scatterers of its precious seeds.
The garden of life flourishes with fruit. Each of God’s children has harvested much from the lush fare of life. The Master Gardener has withheld nothing from those who believe in His name, yet there may be inconsistencies among us that make us question the fairness of how His fruits are distributed.
There is a reason believers are admonished by the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 10:12, “They who compare themselves among themselves are not wise.” When we allow ourselves to assess our lot in life with that of another, we will surely find ourselves to be advantaged in some areas and disadvantaged in others.
But the most unfortunate aspect of this profitless enterprise is that when we indulge the futility of comparison, we allow ourselves to become distracted from our main purpose—that of sharing His salvation message with the lost.
We are to allow the Holy Spirit to conform us into the image of Christ; we are to reflect Him more and more; we are to win others to Him by the light of His truth that we allow to shine in our lives. We are to be the reflection of Christ to the lost.
We are to so live before our Lord that we may, as stated in Isaiah 61:3, “…be called trees of righteousness, planted by the Lord, to glorify Him.” We must recognize that we possess no righteousness of our own, that we are like other men. We know nothing good dwells within us, yet, when Jesus lives in our hearts, our lives become a reflection of His goodness.
When we shine His love and truth and salvation through the living epistle of our lives, everyone whose life touches ours may see the fruit our lives bear and everyone whose life touches ours may feast upon that fruit. Love, truth, goodness, mercy, honor, kindness, hope, faith (see Galatians 5:22, 23)—all the things that Jesus is—become evident in us and we distribute them as He gives opportunity.
We share the wonderful fruit of the Spirit that He has nurtured in us among the lost so they, too, may taste and eat and be blessed. The precious outcome will be that they will partake of the fruit of salvation; that they will then become scatterers of its precious seeds.
Monday, December 9, 2013
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
December 9
It’s not about us. No matter who we are. The only One who may lay claim to the reality that it is all about Him is Jesus. We may, as Shakespeare observed, “strut our hour upon the stage,” for indeed, we all have our role to perform, but in having completed our part excellently, the performance is still not about us.
From the fall, man has been longing for a Savior. The vessel through which that Savior came was the nation of Israel. As the glorious 12th Century hymn proclaims, “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.”
We may even fancy ourselves to be stars in the drama of life, but no matter how large a part we may have, no matter how crucial our role may be to the outcome of ‘the play,’ we are expendable. Each of us can be replaced. Elected officials are voted out of office; lovers are replaced; best friends move on. None of us is uniquely qualified to speak our lines—except Jesus.
Nobody can slip into His role. He has no understudy—He did not take one with Him to the cross. The Lord fulfilled His role and because He did, everyone who believes may complete his own performance to the utmost of his ability. No matter what circumstances befall our lives, we may know with certainty that we will deliver our lines, perform our role, effectively.
Paul said in II Timothy 2:9, “For this I suffer, to the point of being bound like a criminal, but God’s message is not bound.” Paul, the great apostle, the one whose life touched more souls for the Kingdom of God than any other but the Lord’s, knew that it wasn’t about him. Paul knew that though he might be imprisoned and executed, the Truth he bore could never be stopped.
Why can we be so certain that our role in life will be fulfilled? Because Jesus has fulfilled His. As the old Latin hymn, translated into English in 1851 by John Mason states, “Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny; from depths of Hell Thy people save and give them victory o'er the grave!“
Jesus has given us the power to realize our God-given destiny. We cannot be stopped from achieving any goal He sets before us because our Lord has conquered the foe! And not only may we succeed in the Lord’s plan for our life, we may attain His ultimate goal for us which is Heaven. We may rejoice in the knowledge that He is ours and we are His.
How precious is the truth that Jesus saves and sets us free—not only from sin but free to become the fullness of all our innate abilities and desires can realize; free to attain unto the destiny of a blood-bought soul that is bound for Heaven.
From "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," 12th Century Latin Hymn
It’s not about us. No matter who we are. The only One who may lay claim to the reality that it is all about Him is Jesus. We may, as Shakespeare observed, “strut our hour upon the stage,” for indeed, we all have our role to perform, but in having completed our part excellently, the performance is still not about us.
From the fall, man has been longing for a Savior. The vessel through which that Savior came was the nation of Israel. As the glorious 12th Century hymn proclaims, “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.”
We may even fancy ourselves to be stars in the drama of life, but no matter how large a part we may have, no matter how crucial our role may be to the outcome of ‘the play,’ we are expendable. Each of us can be replaced. Elected officials are voted out of office; lovers are replaced; best friends move on. None of us is uniquely qualified to speak our lines—except Jesus.
Nobody can slip into His role. He has no understudy—He did not take one with Him to the cross. The Lord fulfilled His role and because He did, everyone who believes may complete his own performance to the utmost of his ability. No matter what circumstances befall our lives, we may know with certainty that we will deliver our lines, perform our role, effectively.
Paul said in II Timothy 2:9, “For this I suffer, to the point of being bound like a criminal, but God’s message is not bound.” Paul, the great apostle, the one whose life touched more souls for the Kingdom of God than any other but the Lord’s, knew that it wasn’t about him. Paul knew that though he might be imprisoned and executed, the Truth he bore could never be stopped.
Why can we be so certain that our role in life will be fulfilled? Because Jesus has fulfilled His. As the old Latin hymn, translated into English in 1851 by John Mason states, “Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny; from depths of Hell Thy people save and give them victory o'er the grave!“
Jesus has given us the power to realize our God-given destiny. We cannot be stopped from achieving any goal He sets before us because our Lord has conquered the foe! And not only may we succeed in the Lord’s plan for our life, we may attain His ultimate goal for us which is Heaven. We may rejoice in the knowledge that He is ours and we are His.
How precious is the truth that Jesus saves and sets us free—not only from sin but free to become the fullness of all our innate abilities and desires can realize; free to attain unto the destiny of a blood-bought soul that is bound for Heaven.
From "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," 12th Century Latin Hymn
Sunday, December 8, 2013
A Stone In Zion
December 8
Romans 9:33 makes a clear point that lends itself to a vivid analogy. It says, “I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over and a rock to trip over, yet the one who believes on Him will not be put to shame.” The Jews had an expectation of their Messiah. He would be a conqueror.
Jesus, humble and mild did not fit the bill. They could not reconcile the concept of the “Suffering Messiah” of Isaiah 53 with their anticipation of the Liberator who would set them free from the yoke of their harsh Roman masters.
Ponder the words of this prophetic passage. See the Suffering Messiah here who the oppressed Jews did not want to recognize:
1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
They did not want to see the Suffering Messiah who would set them free from sin. They wanted to see the Conquering Messiah who would set them free from Rome. So, they stumbled, and in their stumbling, the plan of salvation was opened to the gentiles. What could have been a devastating end became a new beginning.
What was a stumbling block to God’s chosen people became a stepping stone to the rest of the world’s people! We who would have been left out entirely if the Jews had simply recognized and embraced their Messiah when He came, now have a future and a hope; we, too can be co-heirs with Christ of Heaven’s riches.
Yet, as Paul says in Romans 11:8, 12 of the Jew, “According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear unto this day.
“Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness?”
The Jews have not fallen that they may be lost. No! Though a somnolence has fallen over them for a season, they will be re-gathered into the fold of faith. Indeed, in these last days we see a mighty move of the Spirit of the Living God sweeping over His ancient people, awakening them to the reality that Jesus is the One for whom they have waited.
May we who believe in the salvation of the Lord, we who have received His forgiveness and abide in His love and power, pray fervently for our Jewish brethren to come home; and as we pray for them, may the power of our prayers reach all the lost kindred and tribes of the world.
Romans 9:33 makes a clear point that lends itself to a vivid analogy. It says, “I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over and a rock to trip over, yet the one who believes on Him will not be put to shame.” The Jews had an expectation of their Messiah. He would be a conqueror.
Jesus, humble and mild did not fit the bill. They could not reconcile the concept of the “Suffering Messiah” of Isaiah 53 with their anticipation of the Liberator who would set them free from the yoke of their harsh Roman masters.
Ponder the words of this prophetic passage. See the Suffering Messiah here who the oppressed Jews did not want to recognize:
1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
They did not want to see the Suffering Messiah who would set them free from sin. They wanted to see the Conquering Messiah who would set them free from Rome. So, they stumbled, and in their stumbling, the plan of salvation was opened to the gentiles. What could have been a devastating end became a new beginning.
What was a stumbling block to God’s chosen people became a stepping stone to the rest of the world’s people! We who would have been left out entirely if the Jews had simply recognized and embraced their Messiah when He came, now have a future and a hope; we, too can be co-heirs with Christ of Heaven’s riches.
Yet, as Paul says in Romans 11:8, 12 of the Jew, “According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear unto this day.
“Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness?”
The Jews have not fallen that they may be lost. No! Though a somnolence has fallen over them for a season, they will be re-gathered into the fold of faith. Indeed, in these last days we see a mighty move of the Spirit of the Living God sweeping over His ancient people, awakening them to the reality that Jesus is the One for whom they have waited.
May we who believe in the salvation of the Lord, we who have received His forgiveness and abide in His love and power, pray fervently for our Jewish brethren to come home; and as we pray for them, may the power of our prayers reach all the lost kindred and tribes of the world.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Our Part Is To Stand
December 7
Real faith stands. Yes. Real faith stands. It isn’t shaken by adverse winds. You can’t argue real faith away. You can’t vote real faith away. You can’t legislate real faith away. You can’t discourage real faith away. You can’t rationalize real faith away. You can’t torture real faith away. Real faith stands.
Ask Moses who was willing to suffer with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of Egypt for a season (Hebrews 11:25). Ask Paul who was willing to relinquish the esteem of his nation in order to propagate the gospel under great persecution (Philippians 3:4-9).
Ask anyone who has placed faith in Christ at the pinnacle of his life and he will affirm that abiding in Him is worth the cost. And, there will be cost. Everyone who takes the yoke of the Lord upon himself gives something up—but gains so much more. One thing that will be notably discerned as part of what must be let go, is the esteem of ones fellows. Many people will consider the believer to have taken leave of his senses.
To dispute with those who do not believe is to abdicate the high ground of faith. Mark 9:14-19 tells us what Jesus said to His disciples when they found themselves arguing with doubters: “What are you arguing about...O, faithless generation! How long shall I suffer you?” It is apparent here that to engage in argumentation is to diminish the believer’s faith and his power to do what Jesus has sent him to accomplish. Jesus expects His followers to stand!
And yet, we are admonished to give a defense for the truth that we believe. I Peter 3:15 tells us that we must always be prepared to explain our hope to those who do not share it. There is obviously a thin line between arguing for the sake of itself and defending our faith against all detractors. Our part may be to attend so fully to the whisper of the Holy Spirit within us that in every circumstance, we will know when to speak and when to be silent.
In fact, James 1:19 admonishes people of faith to be "quick to listen and slow to speak." This indicates that God prefers that we endeavor to understand where an opponent is coming from regarding his opposition to the Gospel rather than to attempt to persuade him to ours. This suggests that perhaps our part is to pray for the unbeliever rather than to try to convince him...thereby letting the Holy Spirit do His work.
It is not always easy to, "Be still and know that I am God," Psalm 46:10. It is our nature to want to do something, to take care of matters on our own. But that is not what we're called to do. It is our portion to be available to do whatever the Lord places before us to accomplish for His Kingdom's purposes. It is our part to stand in real faith!
Real faith stands. Yes. Real faith stands. It isn’t shaken by adverse winds. You can’t argue real faith away. You can’t vote real faith away. You can’t legislate real faith away. You can’t discourage real faith away. You can’t rationalize real faith away. You can’t torture real faith away. Real faith stands.
Ask Moses who was willing to suffer with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of Egypt for a season (Hebrews 11:25). Ask Paul who was willing to relinquish the esteem of his nation in order to propagate the gospel under great persecution (Philippians 3:4-9).
Ask anyone who has placed faith in Christ at the pinnacle of his life and he will affirm that abiding in Him is worth the cost. And, there will be cost. Everyone who takes the yoke of the Lord upon himself gives something up—but gains so much more. One thing that will be notably discerned as part of what must be let go, is the esteem of ones fellows. Many people will consider the believer to have taken leave of his senses.
To dispute with those who do not believe is to abdicate the high ground of faith. Mark 9:14-19 tells us what Jesus said to His disciples when they found themselves arguing with doubters: “What are you arguing about...O, faithless generation! How long shall I suffer you?” It is apparent here that to engage in argumentation is to diminish the believer’s faith and his power to do what Jesus has sent him to accomplish. Jesus expects His followers to stand!
And yet, we are admonished to give a defense for the truth that we believe. I Peter 3:15 tells us that we must always be prepared to explain our hope to those who do not share it. There is obviously a thin line between arguing for the sake of itself and defending our faith against all detractors. Our part may be to attend so fully to the whisper of the Holy Spirit within us that in every circumstance, we will know when to speak and when to be silent.
In fact, James 1:19 admonishes people of faith to be "quick to listen and slow to speak." This indicates that God prefers that we endeavor to understand where an opponent is coming from regarding his opposition to the Gospel rather than to attempt to persuade him to ours. This suggests that perhaps our part is to pray for the unbeliever rather than to try to convince him...thereby letting the Holy Spirit do His work.
It is not always easy to, "Be still and know that I am God," Psalm 46:10. It is our nature to want to do something, to take care of matters on our own. But that is not what we're called to do. It is our portion to be available to do whatever the Lord places before us to accomplish for His Kingdom's purposes. It is our part to stand in real faith!
Friday, December 6, 2013
Jesus: I Am the Same
December 6
Some people believe that though there is indeed a Creator God who fashioned the universe, He is not involved in the affairs of His vast creation today. They subscribe to the theory that He made everything, wound it up and then pretty much left it to itself.
This erroneous notion flies in the face of all the evidence and defies the words of Jesus who said, "I am the same yesterday, today and forever," Hebrews 13:8. We who have prayed and received answers to our prayers would be among those who would testify to His profound involvement in the affairs of men.
There is the young woman who was told she had a deteriorating kidney and the treatment required to save her life would kill her unborn baby. After prayer, that dire prospect was totally reversed. The young woman was well and she delivered a perfect child.
Modern-day miracles abound because Jesus said, “The works that I do, you shall do, and even greater works than these because I go to be with the Father,” John 14:12. The only condition to the fulfillment of the promise is that we “ask in faith, nothing wavering…” James 1:6.
Although He can reward anyone, in any way He elects to do so, most of His miracles are for those who, “…believe that He is and that He is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him,” Hebrews 11:6. In fact, the beginning of that verse states, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”
But beyond the realm of our personal experiences that evidence His supernatural involvement in our daily lives at the point of our needs, many scientists understand that concepts like gravitational pull would fail without His keeping power.
If physical evidence in the natural realm is not sufficient to convince us that God sees and hears and cares about what is going on in the universe He fashioned, we have the words of Jesus in John 5:17 that attest to the fact that the One who made us endeavors continually to accomplish His plan for His people. Here the Lord says, “My Father is still working and I am working also.”
The primary work that God is striving to complete is the salvation of souls. That is the great scheme of Heaven—to bring as many as will believe home to glory. The Holy Spirit that stirs in your heart is striving to lead you home—God’s great and glorious work then, the work that was established in Heaven (Revelation 13:8) and completed by Jesus on the cross—is to share heaven with you, with me, with everyone who will embrace our Christ as Savior and Lord.
Some people believe that though there is indeed a Creator God who fashioned the universe, He is not involved in the affairs of His vast creation today. They subscribe to the theory that He made everything, wound it up and then pretty much left it to itself.
This erroneous notion flies in the face of all the evidence and defies the words of Jesus who said, "I am the same yesterday, today and forever," Hebrews 13:8. We who have prayed and received answers to our prayers would be among those who would testify to His profound involvement in the affairs of men.
There is the young woman who was told she had a deteriorating kidney and the treatment required to save her life would kill her unborn baby. After prayer, that dire prospect was totally reversed. The young woman was well and she delivered a perfect child.
Modern-day miracles abound because Jesus said, “The works that I do, you shall do, and even greater works than these because I go to be with the Father,” John 14:12. The only condition to the fulfillment of the promise is that we “ask in faith, nothing wavering…” James 1:6.
Although He can reward anyone, in any way He elects to do so, most of His miracles are for those who, “…believe that He is and that He is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him,” Hebrews 11:6. In fact, the beginning of that verse states, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”
But beyond the realm of our personal experiences that evidence His supernatural involvement in our daily lives at the point of our needs, many scientists understand that concepts like gravitational pull would fail without His keeping power.
If physical evidence in the natural realm is not sufficient to convince us that God sees and hears and cares about what is going on in the universe He fashioned, we have the words of Jesus in John 5:17 that attest to the fact that the One who made us endeavors continually to accomplish His plan for His people. Here the Lord says, “My Father is still working and I am working also.”
The primary work that God is striving to complete is the salvation of souls. That is the great scheme of Heaven—to bring as many as will believe home to glory. The Holy Spirit that stirs in your heart is striving to lead you home—God’s great and glorious work then, the work that was established in Heaven (Revelation 13:8) and completed by Jesus on the cross—is to share heaven with you, with me, with everyone who will embrace our Christ as Savior and Lord.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Count the Cost
December 5
Sometime there’s just no point in arguing. We’ve all put ourselves through the ordeal of trying to justify our words or our actions. We’ve put ourselves through the wringer in order to clarify something said or done that another individual simply didn’t grasp as we’d intended it.
Though we may count ourselves to be skilled wordsmiths, we have to acknowledge that we have, at times, been unable to make our point. The one who did not understand initially, still didn’t ‘get it’ when we’d gone through our hoops of attempting to explain, to clarify.
Jesus must have felt the same way at His mockery of a trial when Pontius Pilate inquired of Him, “’Don’t You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?' But He kept silent and did not answer anything,” Mark 14:60, 61.
Jesus did not argue before His accusers. He knew the futility of debate and He knew that in order for the plan of salvation to be implemented, this moment had to come.
But, beyond that, He knew that if these people had seen His miracles—blind eyes that were opened, deaf ears that were unstopped, demon-possessed lives that were set free from oppression—and yet did not believe Him, there was no point of further clarification that He could state that would change their hearts.
Like Him, we must sometimes allow the living epistle of our lives stand for itself. Abraham Lincoln once said in response to someone who urged him to argue his position when it was challenged, “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”
Certainly, no one would accuse our Sixteenth President of being a fool. His words were wise and precisely to the point, but the fact remains that much attempt at validation of our position or persuasion of another to it will be, for the most part, futile.
It will be much to our advantage if instead we, “Count the cost,” as Jesus advises in Luke 14:28. Here He is counseling that one assess his resources fully so he will know whether he can successfully complete a project. If we have counted the cost and know our position is a good one, if we have laid it out clearly, then we must allow it to stand on its own merit.
Sometime there’s just no point in arguing. We’ve all put ourselves through the ordeal of trying to justify our words or our actions. We’ve put ourselves through the wringer in order to clarify something said or done that another individual simply didn’t grasp as we’d intended it.
Though we may count ourselves to be skilled wordsmiths, we have to acknowledge that we have, at times, been unable to make our point. The one who did not understand initially, still didn’t ‘get it’ when we’d gone through our hoops of attempting to explain, to clarify.
Jesus must have felt the same way at His mockery of a trial when Pontius Pilate inquired of Him, “’Don’t You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?' But He kept silent and did not answer anything,” Mark 14:60, 61.
Jesus did not argue before His accusers. He knew the futility of debate and He knew that in order for the plan of salvation to be implemented, this moment had to come.
But, beyond that, He knew that if these people had seen His miracles—blind eyes that were opened, deaf ears that were unstopped, demon-possessed lives that were set free from oppression—and yet did not believe Him, there was no point of further clarification that He could state that would change their hearts.
Like Him, we must sometimes allow the living epistle of our lives stand for itself. Abraham Lincoln once said in response to someone who urged him to argue his position when it was challenged, “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”
Certainly, no one would accuse our Sixteenth President of being a fool. His words were wise and precisely to the point, but the fact remains that much attempt at validation of our position or persuasion of another to it will be, for the most part, futile.
It will be much to our advantage if instead we, “Count the cost,” as Jesus advises in Luke 14:28. Here He is counseling that one assess his resources fully so he will know whether he can successfully complete a project. If we have counted the cost and know our position is a good one, if we have laid it out clearly, then we must allow it to stand on its own merit.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Therein Lies Our Contentment
December 4
There is a verse in scripture (II Corinthians 10:12) that says, "They who compare themselves among themselves are not wise.” The Bible is quite clear that if we believe in Christ, have settled in our hearts and minds that we are His and we will follow wherever He leads, there is no place in us for second guessing His choices for us..
There is no place for negotiation for a ‘better deal.’ If He calls us into a mission field in some far-flung corner of the world, we must trust that it is because He knows His plan for us will be best accomplished there and His plan for that part of the globe will be best accomplished because of our presence there.
If He tells us to remain in our hometown and share our faith with the people among whom we grew up, we cannot lament the lack of adventure in our lives. Again, He knows where we will be most effectively discipled and where we will be best equipped to draw new disciples to Jesus.
Even Peter wrestled with the question of where he was to go in order to serve the Kingdom of Christ—and where his fellow Apostle John would go, and how he would die. Jesus had described Peter's martyrdom in John 21:18, 19, so in John 21:21, Peter asked, "And what shall this man (John) do?"
As we so often do, Peter was trying to reconcile in his mind how ‘fair,’ how ‘proportionate’ would be his lot in life compared to that of someone close to him. Can we not hear ourselves saying, ‘But, Jesus, why did he get the promotion? Don’t I work harder than he does? Lord, why is their marriage thriving while ours is chugging along after several years of less-than-marital-bliss?’
Our questions could go on to include those about other relationships and other people whose lives touch ours, but the point is that we are to trust the Lord in all circumstances of life. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
We may question ourselves—‘How can I do better?’ ‘What can I do more effectively at work to attain the goals I seek?’ ‘How can I love my spouse more fully to have the joy in marriage that seems to be missing?’ Assessing our effort can be quite productive, but interrogating our God is as unproductive for us as it was for Job. (See Job 38:4 as the Lord begins His response to Job’s challenge of His dealing with him.)
The Lord’s answer to Peter when he asked Him to outline John’s fate as compared to his own silenced him. It should silence us, too, when we ponder the role of fellow believers in His Kingdom. In John 21:22, Jesus said, “If I want him to tarry until I come, what is that to you?”
This was His polite way of saying that another person's life and ministry and fate are none of our business; and His answer should effectively shut us up, as it did Peter. Can we ask Him to help us improve ourselves while trusting Him with the things we cannot change? If we can, therein lies our contentment.
There is a verse in scripture (II Corinthians 10:12) that says, "They who compare themselves among themselves are not wise.” The Bible is quite clear that if we believe in Christ, have settled in our hearts and minds that we are His and we will follow wherever He leads, there is no place in us for second guessing His choices for us..
There is no place for negotiation for a ‘better deal.’ If He calls us into a mission field in some far-flung corner of the world, we must trust that it is because He knows His plan for us will be best accomplished there and His plan for that part of the globe will be best accomplished because of our presence there.
If He tells us to remain in our hometown and share our faith with the people among whom we grew up, we cannot lament the lack of adventure in our lives. Again, He knows where we will be most effectively discipled and where we will be best equipped to draw new disciples to Jesus.
Even Peter wrestled with the question of where he was to go in order to serve the Kingdom of Christ—and where his fellow Apostle John would go, and how he would die. Jesus had described Peter's martyrdom in John 21:18, 19, so in John 21:21, Peter asked, "And what shall this man (John) do?"
As we so often do, Peter was trying to reconcile in his mind how ‘fair,’ how ‘proportionate’ would be his lot in life compared to that of someone close to him. Can we not hear ourselves saying, ‘But, Jesus, why did he get the promotion? Don’t I work harder than he does? Lord, why is their marriage thriving while ours is chugging along after several years of less-than-marital-bliss?’
Our questions could go on to include those about other relationships and other people whose lives touch ours, but the point is that we are to trust the Lord in all circumstances of life. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
We may question ourselves—‘How can I do better?’ ‘What can I do more effectively at work to attain the goals I seek?’ ‘How can I love my spouse more fully to have the joy in marriage that seems to be missing?’ Assessing our effort can be quite productive, but interrogating our God is as unproductive for us as it was for Job. (See Job 38:4 as the Lord begins His response to Job’s challenge of His dealing with him.)
The Lord’s answer to Peter when he asked Him to outline John’s fate as compared to his own silenced him. It should silence us, too, when we ponder the role of fellow believers in His Kingdom. In John 21:22, Jesus said, “If I want him to tarry until I come, what is that to you?”
This was His polite way of saying that another person's life and ministry and fate are none of our business; and His answer should effectively shut us up, as it did Peter. Can we ask Him to help us improve ourselves while trusting Him with the things we cannot change? If we can, therein lies our contentment.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
No Spiritual Pecking Order
December 3
Perhaps in your field of endeavor there is a ‘pecking order.’ The most discernable evidence of such will be the salaries of the individuals employed at your place of work. The CEO or the superintendent or the president or the manager will be paid more than the lower echelon employees.
If you are one of the ‘underlings,’ you probably don’t even know what your upper management officials make. Although you’re probably convinced that they’re out of touch with the nuts and bolts of what keeps the wheels of the organization turning and the importance of the ordinary folk who keep them greased, you know in spite of that, they make way more than you do!
Sometimes there is even a pecking order in families. Some members seem to ‘click’ while others are like the poor child at the candy store who can only stand outside with his nose pressed against the glass. Some people have a knack for making friendships while others lack the social skills that are required to attract and maintain friendships.
As the old saying goes, ‘Life ain’t fair. Get over it.’ But, in spite of the discrepancies that abound everywhere you turn—at work, at home, and in virtually every area of interaction with other individuals, there is one place where you will find absolute equity; and that is with God. He has no favorites.
The Word states very clearly, “He is no respecter of persons,” Acts 10:34. He has given His gifts, including the gift of His indwelling Holy Spirit, to all men equally. In Matthew 5:45, Jesus Himself says that “He causes the rain to fall on the just and on the unjust; He allows His sun to shine on the just and on the unjust.” His provision is available to all men without regard to their status or their abilities or their worthiness to receive them.
In the spiritual realm, He values every individual’s contribution to the furtherance of the Kingdom of Christ. Whether you’re Billy Graham or an obscure usher at the corner church, He values you. In I Corinthians 3:8, we’re told, “The one who plants and the one who waters are equal; each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”
There is no vying for favor, and no need to impress the Boss. He has no pecking order that promotes one above another; He simply requires each believer to do what he has been called to do in the field to which he has been called to serve. As Luke 3:17 says, “His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
The one who has turned his back on Christ will be without reward, but all who have faithfully served in the place where they have been called will find their reward to be great when they hear the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” Matthew 25:21.
Perhaps in your field of endeavor there is a ‘pecking order.’ The most discernable evidence of such will be the salaries of the individuals employed at your place of work. The CEO or the superintendent or the president or the manager will be paid more than the lower echelon employees.
If you are one of the ‘underlings,’ you probably don’t even know what your upper management officials make. Although you’re probably convinced that they’re out of touch with the nuts and bolts of what keeps the wheels of the organization turning and the importance of the ordinary folk who keep them greased, you know in spite of that, they make way more than you do!
Sometimes there is even a pecking order in families. Some members seem to ‘click’ while others are like the poor child at the candy store who can only stand outside with his nose pressed against the glass. Some people have a knack for making friendships while others lack the social skills that are required to attract and maintain friendships.
As the old saying goes, ‘Life ain’t fair. Get over it.’ But, in spite of the discrepancies that abound everywhere you turn—at work, at home, and in virtually every area of interaction with other individuals, there is one place where you will find absolute equity; and that is with God. He has no favorites.
The Word states very clearly, “He is no respecter of persons,” Acts 10:34. He has given His gifts, including the gift of His indwelling Holy Spirit, to all men equally. In Matthew 5:45, Jesus Himself says that “He causes the rain to fall on the just and on the unjust; He allows His sun to shine on the just and on the unjust.” His provision is available to all men without regard to their status or their abilities or their worthiness to receive them.
In the spiritual realm, He values every individual’s contribution to the furtherance of the Kingdom of Christ. Whether you’re Billy Graham or an obscure usher at the corner church, He values you. In I Corinthians 3:8, we’re told, “The one who plants and the one who waters are equal; each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”
There is no vying for favor, and no need to impress the Boss. He has no pecking order that promotes one above another; He simply requires each believer to do what he has been called to do in the field to which he has been called to serve. As Luke 3:17 says, “His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
The one who has turned his back on Christ will be without reward, but all who have faithfully served in the place where they have been called will find their reward to be great when they hear the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” Matthew 25:21.
Monday, December 2, 2013
The Same Promise of Victory
December 2
God’s expectation of Abram, that he would make the things of the Lord his top priority, is also His expectation of us. Scripture is replete with examples of the men and women who were used of God who had to first be willing to lay their own reason, their own goals, aside to simply trust the Almighty.
Some of the things they were asked to do are mind boggling.
When Gideon was told that his army was too big, that he would have to whittle it down (Judges 7:2-7), it required profound faith for him to trust that the great army of the Midianites could be defeated by the 300 men that God allowed Gideon to keep. The reality is that the victory came in spite of Gideon’s extremely small army. The victory came because of the Lord, and He had no intention of sharing His glory with an army of any size!
When we are asked to dispense with human reason, with our own prior experience and our finite understanding of how things work and how problems can best be resolved, God has a plan that exceeds our very limited scope. He has a plan that will not disappoint us, if we will but trust in His power—if we will but trust in His love.
As He demonstrated to Gideon, whatever small resource we possess becomes more than sufficient to overcome whatever force confronts us because it isn’t our ability or our resources that achieve the victory—it is, as in the case of Gideon, God Himself!
Abraham trusted God in every matter of importance—from leaving his homeland to believing for his promised heir when he and his wife were beyond child-bearing years (Genesis 21:2), to being willing to sacrifice his long-awaited son (Genesis 22:6).
The Word says in Hebrews 6:11, “We want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope.” God wants us to evidence Abraham’s level of faith, trust and obedience in our lives. He wants us to rely on Him for our victories as Gideon did. If we will, we, like them, will not be disappointed.
He will Himself provide a sacrifice as He did for Abraham. He will Himself rout the enormous foe that stands before us as He did for Gideon. He is “the same yesterday, today, and forever,” Hebrews 13:8, and “He will never fail or forsake us,” Hebrews 13:5. His people today have the same ability to trust as did these heroes long ago—and believers today have the same promise of victory that they received.
God’s expectation of Abram, that he would make the things of the Lord his top priority, is also His expectation of us. Scripture is replete with examples of the men and women who were used of God who had to first be willing to lay their own reason, their own goals, aside to simply trust the Almighty.
Some of the things they were asked to do are mind boggling.
When Gideon was told that his army was too big, that he would have to whittle it down (Judges 7:2-7), it required profound faith for him to trust that the great army of the Midianites could be defeated by the 300 men that God allowed Gideon to keep. The reality is that the victory came in spite of Gideon’s extremely small army. The victory came because of the Lord, and He had no intention of sharing His glory with an army of any size!
When we are asked to dispense with human reason, with our own prior experience and our finite understanding of how things work and how problems can best be resolved, God has a plan that exceeds our very limited scope. He has a plan that will not disappoint us, if we will but trust in His power—if we will but trust in His love.
As He demonstrated to Gideon, whatever small resource we possess becomes more than sufficient to overcome whatever force confronts us because it isn’t our ability or our resources that achieve the victory—it is, as in the case of Gideon, God Himself!
Abraham trusted God in every matter of importance—from leaving his homeland to believing for his promised heir when he and his wife were beyond child-bearing years (Genesis 21:2), to being willing to sacrifice his long-awaited son (Genesis 22:6).
The Word says in Hebrews 6:11, “We want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope.” God wants us to evidence Abraham’s level of faith, trust and obedience in our lives. He wants us to rely on Him for our victories as Gideon did. If we will, we, like them, will not be disappointed.
He will Himself provide a sacrifice as He did for Abraham. He will Himself rout the enormous foe that stands before us as He did for Gideon. He is “the same yesterday, today, and forever,” Hebrews 13:8, and “He will never fail or forsake us,” Hebrews 13:5. His people today have the same ability to trust as did these heroes long ago—and believers today have the same promise of victory that they received.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Addendum
December 1
Dear Reader...we have arrived at the final month of the year of 2013. In much of the world it is a hauntingly beautiful time of year when snow falls and wind blows and the feeling of excitement is in the air because of the conclusion of the family-oriented holiday of Thanksgiving and the movement toward the Christ-oriented holiday of Christmas.
Wherever you are as you read this, I pray you are moving toward Christ; not just the celebration of the birth of the Babe of Bethlehem but toward the King of kings and Lord of lords Himself (Revelation 19:16); toward the One who desires to reign in your heart and to glorify Himself in every promise the Word of God holds out to you.
Dear Reader...we have arrived at the final month of the year of 2013. In much of the world it is a hauntingly beautiful time of year when snow falls and wind blows and the feeling of excitement is in the air because of the conclusion of the family-oriented holiday of Thanksgiving and the movement toward the Christ-oriented holiday of Christmas.
Wherever you are as you read this, I pray you are moving toward Christ; not just the celebration of the birth of the Babe of Bethlehem but toward the King of kings and Lord of lords Himself (Revelation 19:16); toward the One who desires to reign in your heart and to glorify Himself in every promise the Word of God holds out to you.
Contingent upon Compliance
December 1
God’s promises are conditional. Much like a contractual agreement, they are contingent upon the compliance of both parties with the terms stipulated. Because God will never renege on any aspect of His word, we understand that any departure from the terms of the promises comes from man. To the degree to which we are faithful to uphold our end of the deal, the fullness of the offer extended by God is available to us.
One of the big qualifiers for receiving the fulfillment of any promise we claim is our own faith. If we do not believe, if we do not trust God in a matter, He is no longer under any obligation to fulfill the promise we claim. Hebrews 11:6 states clearly that we cannot please God without faith.
As Paul states in Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for any man coming to God must believe that He is—and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Another very clear requirement set forth in the Word regarding our receipt of the benefits the Bible says are ours when we ask in faith is that we step out when God calls us. He does not require the same degree of compliance from every individual but He does expect that when we are asked to leave our comfort zone to follow Him in faith, we will do it.
As early as Genesis 12:1, Abram is called to, “Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land I will show you.”
Here Abram demonstrated the faith that God expects from all who believe. He left all that was familiar, he left the inheritance that was his as the son of his father in order to receive the inheritance his heavenly Father, his God, had for him. So must we.
God’s promises are conditional. Much like a contractual agreement, they are contingent upon the compliance of both parties with the terms stipulated. Because God will never renege on any aspect of His word, we understand that any departure from the terms of the promises comes from man. To the degree to which we are faithful to uphold our end of the deal, the fullness of the offer extended by God is available to us.
One of the big qualifiers for receiving the fulfillment of any promise we claim is our own faith. If we do not believe, if we do not trust God in a matter, He is no longer under any obligation to fulfill the promise we claim. Hebrews 11:6 states clearly that we cannot please God without faith.
As Paul states in Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for any man coming to God must believe that He is—and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Another very clear requirement set forth in the Word regarding our receipt of the benefits the Bible says are ours when we ask in faith is that we step out when God calls us. He does not require the same degree of compliance from every individual but He does expect that when we are asked to leave our comfort zone to follow Him in faith, we will do it.
As early as Genesis 12:1, Abram is called to, “Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land I will show you.”
Here Abram demonstrated the faith that God expects from all who believe. He left all that was familiar, he left the inheritance that was his as the son of his father in order to receive the inheritance his heavenly Father, his God, had for him. So must we.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
From Night to Radiant Day
November 30
As much as we delight in the stories of God’s working among His ancient people the Israelites and as much as we are awed by the commitment of the Apostles to take the gospel of Christ to the known world of their day, yet we are most blessed when we contemplate the Lord’s touch upon our own lives. Having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is the richest, most fulfilling aspect of being alive.
We are awed by His faithfulness. We are humbled by His mercy and grace. We know first-hand the veracity of the Word that tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever,” Hebrews 13:8, for we have experienced His steadfast presence in our own lives.
We know our frame. We know we can be trying—even to other people, let alone to the One who came to earth as the Perfect Man whose sinless life sets us free from the penalty of sin that we incurred to ourselves. We know He has the power to banish us from His presence eternally; we know our sin would justify His abandonment of us to our own wayward proclivity, but He elects to hold fast to us, to be true to His promise, “I will never fail you nor forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6.
So we bow before Him, we surrender our today and our tomorrows to Him. We commit ourselves to serving Jesus all our days and to sharing our knowledge of Him with others. It is our goal to be part of His ‘team.’ Our desire is to go where He leads and speak His truth to all nations and tribes, even as He has admonished that we do, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” Mark 16:15.
Why would we sacrifice ‘self’ in order to promote His Kingdom? Because we can proclaim as did the Psalmist in 139:14, “I will praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful and I know this very well.” We cannot deny His goodness to us; we cannot dismiss His ever-present watch care over us, so everything within us yearns to serve Him. All our being longs to share His glory with those who know Him not so He may illumine the darkness, so He may transform night to radiant day.
As much as we delight in the stories of God’s working among His ancient people the Israelites and as much as we are awed by the commitment of the Apostles to take the gospel of Christ to the known world of their day, yet we are most blessed when we contemplate the Lord’s touch upon our own lives. Having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is the richest, most fulfilling aspect of being alive.
We are awed by His faithfulness. We are humbled by His mercy and grace. We know first-hand the veracity of the Word that tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever,” Hebrews 13:8, for we have experienced His steadfast presence in our own lives.
We know our frame. We know we can be trying—even to other people, let alone to the One who came to earth as the Perfect Man whose sinless life sets us free from the penalty of sin that we incurred to ourselves. We know He has the power to banish us from His presence eternally; we know our sin would justify His abandonment of us to our own wayward proclivity, but He elects to hold fast to us, to be true to His promise, “I will never fail you nor forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6.
So we bow before Him, we surrender our today and our tomorrows to Him. We commit ourselves to serving Jesus all our days and to sharing our knowledge of Him with others. It is our goal to be part of His ‘team.’ Our desire is to go where He leads and speak His truth to all nations and tribes, even as He has admonished that we do, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” Mark 16:15.
Why would we sacrifice ‘self’ in order to promote His Kingdom? Because we can proclaim as did the Psalmist in 139:14, “I will praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful and I know this very well.” We cannot deny His goodness to us; we cannot dismiss His ever-present watch care over us, so everything within us yearns to serve Him. All our being longs to share His glory with those who know Him not so He may illumine the darkness, so He may transform night to radiant day.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Our Citizenship
November 29
We live in an expansive country that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Although a commercial airliner can traverse the land in a matter of three hours, the journey of the pioneers who originally explored and settled this nation required months of arduous travel. Why did they do it?
What motivated them to brave the cold, the deprivation, the attack of unfriendly tribes who saw them as intruders who’d come to steal their land? There were many motivating factors—some negative, some positive—from a desire to tap into the wealth of the land to a yearning to share Christ with native Americans.
One undeniable reason held by many who bore great hardship to help expand the borders of this nation was national pride—a great love of America. There were people who left their homelands to become citizens of this country who eagerly embraced their adoptive country and all she stands for. Their sons fought and died in several wars for her and the freedom she extends to those who cherish liberty.
The Jewish people, too, have a deep love for the land God has given to them. It began with Joseph, who, when he was expelled from his country by his brothers who sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:27) received the blessing of his father prior to his death that would bring him back to the land of his birth.
Joseph had been sold from his homeland but elevated in Egypt, yet he embraced the prayer of his father in Genesis 48:21, “Look! I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.” We might think he’d prefer to remain in the land where he’d been made second in command, with Pharaoh receiving all his counsel, but he yearned after his homeland.
We who are followers of Jesus, no matter our national heritage, no matter from what nation our ancestors came forth, no matter our financial or political status, all yearn for our heavenly home. As the Word tells us, we are “strangers and sojourners” I Chronicles 29:15 on earth, and as such, we know our time here is brief and we do not cling to it.
For when we have received Jesus as Savior and King, we have a new citizenship! As Paul said in Ephesians 2:19, “We are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." We finally have a permanent home, and it is in Heaven with the Savior who conquered death so we might dwell eternally with Him.
We live in an expansive country that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Although a commercial airliner can traverse the land in a matter of three hours, the journey of the pioneers who originally explored and settled this nation required months of arduous travel. Why did they do it?
What motivated them to brave the cold, the deprivation, the attack of unfriendly tribes who saw them as intruders who’d come to steal their land? There were many motivating factors—some negative, some positive—from a desire to tap into the wealth of the land to a yearning to share Christ with native Americans.
One undeniable reason held by many who bore great hardship to help expand the borders of this nation was national pride—a great love of America. There were people who left their homelands to become citizens of this country who eagerly embraced their adoptive country and all she stands for. Their sons fought and died in several wars for her and the freedom she extends to those who cherish liberty.
The Jewish people, too, have a deep love for the land God has given to them. It began with Joseph, who, when he was expelled from his country by his brothers who sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:27) received the blessing of his father prior to his death that would bring him back to the land of his birth.
Joseph had been sold from his homeland but elevated in Egypt, yet he embraced the prayer of his father in Genesis 48:21, “Look! I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.” We might think he’d prefer to remain in the land where he’d been made second in command, with Pharaoh receiving all his counsel, but he yearned after his homeland.
We who are followers of Jesus, no matter our national heritage, no matter from what nation our ancestors came forth, no matter our financial or political status, all yearn for our heavenly home. As the Word tells us, we are “strangers and sojourners” I Chronicles 29:15 on earth, and as such, we know our time here is brief and we do not cling to it.
For when we have received Jesus as Savior and King, we have a new citizenship! As Paul said in Ephesians 2:19, “We are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." We finally have a permanent home, and it is in Heaven with the Savior who conquered death so we might dwell eternally with Him.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 28
Thoughts for Thanksgiving
Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Through all the challenges of life, may we employ Psalm 34:1—His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Two words go hand-in-hand in the Bible. The one we’re thinking about today, “THANKSGIVING,” is inextricably tied to “PRAISE” in God’s Holy Word. We who love the Lord understand that we are to “Thank and praise Him in all things.” ( I Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:20.)
We do so out of hearts that love Him and recognize the fullness of His goodness and mercy to us. We do so because we know that apart from the sacrifice of Jesus for us we are bound for an abysmal eternity. We also do so because we know “God inhabits the praise of His people,” Psalm 22:3.
It might be interesting to consider the psalm in context:
Psalm 22 New International Version A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.[b]
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises! You inhabit the praise of Your people![c]
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions that tear their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.
15 My mouth[d] is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce[e] my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.
19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you[f] I will fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
As so often with the writings of David, the great wordsmith begins with a lament. His circumstances have weighed him down. He feels hopeless. Then, he begins to factor in the wonder and majesty of God and his writing does an ‘about face’! Verse 22, where David begins to praise the Lord and to recount His mercy is the pivot point of the psalm where David literally turns on his heel from despair to fervency of commitment and optimism!
The conclusion we can draw from this is that our praise of and thanksgiving to God are important not only because HE IS WORTHY and deserves all our thanks and praise but because there is a benefit accrued to us when we choose to focus not upon the negativity of our circumstances but upon the faithfulness, the worthiness, the transformative power of our God!
A wonderful book, POWER IN PRAISE by Merlin Carothers, was published about 40 years ago. In it, Carothers, a military chaplain at Fort Benning, Georgia, recounts numerous vignettes where the military people to whom he is ministering come to him with terrible circumstances that they are unable to overcome—or to pray through.
Chaplain Carothers applies David’s tactic to their situations—he tells them to thank and praise God for their circumstances. Invariably, these burdened and weary people stomp out of his office, fully convinced that he has a hole in his head.
Invariably, they reconsider, applying Carothers’ logic, “You’ve tried everything else, why not try this?” The good chaplain stresses the reality that the overcoming of the problem is not contingent upon the believer being ‘good enough,’ nor does it require the believer to ‘do anything.’ Why? Because it’s all based on the goodness Christ purchased for us at Calvary, not ours; and it’s all based on what He’s done, not what we can do!
A couple of examples of the Psalm 22 principle at work are these:
A young woman had been committed to a mental institution for the hopelessly insane. Her parents had prayed fervently to no avail when they were counseled by Chaplain Carothers to praise and thank God for her condition. Ultimately, in spite of originally thinking his counsel to be blasphemous, they followed his advice. The next morning, they received a phone call from the hospital telling them there had been a remarkable change in their daughter. Within two weeks, she was released, whole and well, from the hospital.
A second example touched me profoundly enough to remember it through the forty years since I first read the book. A military mother came to him with the sad tale of her daughter who had fallen away from the faith in which she had been raised. Her husband was deployed, so he could not partner with her in prayer about their daughter who had become a topless ‘go-go dancer’ in a notorious nightclub. Typically, the mother stormed out when Chaplain Carothers counseled her to thank and praise God for her daughter’s job choice. Ultimately, she took his advice because she had indeed tried everything else. That day, a young man went into the bar and slipped something into the cage where the daughter was dancing. She thought it was money—lots of guys slipped money into her cage. When her shift was over she picked it up along with the cash and discovered it was a Bible tract. She left the nightclub and never went back. She turned back to Christ—and since this was written over forty years ago, we can presume she is today someone’s godly grandmother.
Returning to Psalm 22…did you notice as we read it that it is a prophecy of the death of Jesus at the hands of the Roman ‘gentile dogs’? Go back and read it again to see how specific it is to the crucifixion of Jesus. Consider that it was written a thousand years before Jesus was cruelly tortured by this method of execution that the Romans had not even yet devised at the time of its writing!
The Lord led David to praise in the midst of the horrific details of the crucifixion—and that event of pain and ignominy and scorn and torture and death became the springboard for the most glorious event in the history of mankind! It became the springboard for the RESURRECTION OF JESUS FROM THE DEAD!
Do you suppose God is perhaps attempting to tell us something today about the power of thanksgiving and praise? Do you suppose we might see His amazing provision of our needs if we will but thank and praise Jesus in the midst of our trials?
Can we employ this wondrous principle to our circumstances NOW? Will YOU try it?
Thoughts for Thanksgiving
Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Through all the challenges of life, may we employ Psalm 34:1—His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Two words go hand-in-hand in the Bible. The one we’re thinking about today, “THANKSGIVING,” is inextricably tied to “PRAISE” in God’s Holy Word. We who love the Lord understand that we are to “Thank and praise Him in all things.” ( I Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:20.)
We do so out of hearts that love Him and recognize the fullness of His goodness and mercy to us. We do so because we know that apart from the sacrifice of Jesus for us we are bound for an abysmal eternity. We also do so because we know “God inhabits the praise of His people,” Psalm 22:3.
It might be interesting to consider the psalm in context:
Psalm 22 New International Version A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.[b]
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises! You inhabit the praise of Your people![c]
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions that tear their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.
15 My mouth[d] is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce[e] my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.
19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you[f] I will fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
As so often with the writings of David, the great wordsmith begins with a lament. His circumstances have weighed him down. He feels hopeless. Then, he begins to factor in the wonder and majesty of God and his writing does an ‘about face’! Verse 22, where David begins to praise the Lord and to recount His mercy is the pivot point of the psalm where David literally turns on his heel from despair to fervency of commitment and optimism!
The conclusion we can draw from this is that our praise of and thanksgiving to God are important not only because HE IS WORTHY and deserves all our thanks and praise but because there is a benefit accrued to us when we choose to focus not upon the negativity of our circumstances but upon the faithfulness, the worthiness, the transformative power of our God!
A wonderful book, POWER IN PRAISE by Merlin Carothers, was published about 40 years ago. In it, Carothers, a military chaplain at Fort Benning, Georgia, recounts numerous vignettes where the military people to whom he is ministering come to him with terrible circumstances that they are unable to overcome—or to pray through.
Chaplain Carothers applies David’s tactic to their situations—he tells them to thank and praise God for their circumstances. Invariably, these burdened and weary people stomp out of his office, fully convinced that he has a hole in his head.
Invariably, they reconsider, applying Carothers’ logic, “You’ve tried everything else, why not try this?” The good chaplain stresses the reality that the overcoming of the problem is not contingent upon the believer being ‘good enough,’ nor does it require the believer to ‘do anything.’ Why? Because it’s all based on the goodness Christ purchased for us at Calvary, not ours; and it’s all based on what He’s done, not what we can do!
A couple of examples of the Psalm 22 principle at work are these:
A young woman had been committed to a mental institution for the hopelessly insane. Her parents had prayed fervently to no avail when they were counseled by Chaplain Carothers to praise and thank God for her condition. Ultimately, in spite of originally thinking his counsel to be blasphemous, they followed his advice. The next morning, they received a phone call from the hospital telling them there had been a remarkable change in their daughter. Within two weeks, she was released, whole and well, from the hospital.
A second example touched me profoundly enough to remember it through the forty years since I first read the book. A military mother came to him with the sad tale of her daughter who had fallen away from the faith in which she had been raised. Her husband was deployed, so he could not partner with her in prayer about their daughter who had become a topless ‘go-go dancer’ in a notorious nightclub. Typically, the mother stormed out when Chaplain Carothers counseled her to thank and praise God for her daughter’s job choice. Ultimately, she took his advice because she had indeed tried everything else. That day, a young man went into the bar and slipped something into the cage where the daughter was dancing. She thought it was money—lots of guys slipped money into her cage. When her shift was over she picked it up along with the cash and discovered it was a Bible tract. She left the nightclub and never went back. She turned back to Christ—and since this was written over forty years ago, we can presume she is today someone’s godly grandmother.
Returning to Psalm 22…did you notice as we read it that it is a prophecy of the death of Jesus at the hands of the Roman ‘gentile dogs’? Go back and read it again to see how specific it is to the crucifixion of Jesus. Consider that it was written a thousand years before Jesus was cruelly tortured by this method of execution that the Romans had not even yet devised at the time of its writing!
The Lord led David to praise in the midst of the horrific details of the crucifixion—and that event of pain and ignominy and scorn and torture and death became the springboard for the most glorious event in the history of mankind! It became the springboard for the RESURRECTION OF JESUS FROM THE DEAD!
Do you suppose God is perhaps attempting to tell us something today about the power of thanksgiving and praise? Do you suppose we might see His amazing provision of our needs if we will but thank and praise Jesus in the midst of our trials?
Can we employ this wondrous principle to our circumstances NOW? Will YOU try it?
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
No Greater Blessing
November 27
In Ecclesiastes 12:13, Solomon, the wisest mere mortal who ever lived said, “Fear (reverence) God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” In Matthew 22:38 and 39, Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Do we? To what degree do we see the evidence of man’s adherence to these admonitions?
The outcome of following these Biblical imperatives is essentially, twofold. If we follow the Word in this regard we shall have wonderful relationships in life. We will, firstly, “esteem others above ourselves,” as Paul admonished the Philippians in Chapter 2, verse 3, and we will abound in love.
Further, beyond the brief span of time that is allotted to us in this tabernacle of flesh, we shall, because we embrace Jesus as our Savior and allow His Word to govern us, be co heirs with Him of the unimaginable eternal glory that God has prepared for those who love Him (I Corinthians 2:9).
Like Enoch, a devout man who loved God in the midst of perversity, we shall, “…walk with God” (through life) and slip into eternity with Him at the close of our days (Genesis 5:22-24).
There is no greater blessing than to reverence God and to take Him at His word by placing our hand into that of Jesus and allowing Him to love others through us as He leads us through the years of life’s journey—all the way to our eternal home.
In Ecclesiastes 12:13, Solomon, the wisest mere mortal who ever lived said, “Fear (reverence) God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” In Matthew 22:38 and 39, Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Do we? To what degree do we see the evidence of man’s adherence to these admonitions?
The outcome of following these Biblical imperatives is essentially, twofold. If we follow the Word in this regard we shall have wonderful relationships in life. We will, firstly, “esteem others above ourselves,” as Paul admonished the Philippians in Chapter 2, verse 3, and we will abound in love.
Further, beyond the brief span of time that is allotted to us in this tabernacle of flesh, we shall, because we embrace Jesus as our Savior and allow His Word to govern us, be co heirs with Him of the unimaginable eternal glory that God has prepared for those who love Him (I Corinthians 2:9).
Like Enoch, a devout man who loved God in the midst of perversity, we shall, “…walk with God” (through life) and slip into eternity with Him at the close of our days (Genesis 5:22-24).
There is no greater blessing than to reverence God and to take Him at His word by placing our hand into that of Jesus and allowing Him to love others through us as He leads us through the years of life’s journey—all the way to our eternal home.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Heirs of Heaven
November 26
Cain and Abel were polar opposites. Cain was a man of the world. A man who believed in himself and what he could accomplish. When he laid the fruit of his labor before God, he expected God to be impressed –and satisfied. God was not (Genesis, Chapter 4).
Many of us are sufficiently like him that our thoughts rarely turn to God. We are quite content with our own abilities to navigate through life and we fully expect that God, if He exists, will be pleased enough with us at our life’s end to allow us whatever reward eternity holds.
When Cain’s brother Abel brought a blood offering before God and God accepted it, Cain was overwhelmed with anger and slew his brother. Cain did not understand that it is only by the shedding of blood that there can be remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22).
Again, the parallel between our first siblings and ourselves is remarkable. When our confidence in ourselves is compromised by our brothers’ successes, we are indignant, we are upset, we are infuriated that another’s efforts have been rewarded while ours go unrecognized and unrewarded.
Man thinks himself sophisticated today, beyond the need of superstition or religion. He sees himself beyond the time when these concepts played a significant role in how people lived their lives. Man is sure that his time on earth is significant because he thinks himself to be significant. He needs no reliance upon a Holy God who requires him to receive the salvation of Christ.
In one way, modern man is correct. Though the blood of lambs was required to cover man’s sin through the centuries prior to the coming of Christ, when Jesus bore the stripes on His back and the crown of thorns on His sinless head; when He endured the nails in His hands and feet; when the Roman soldier’s spear pierced His side, He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). And it was indeed finished. Never again will a spotless lamb need to be sacrificed in order to lift the burden of man’s sin.
Paul stated in Hebrews 12:24, “Jesus (is) Mediator of a new covenant and (His) sprinkled blood says better things than the blood of Abel.” Abel sacrificed the spotless lamb to cover his sin and his own blood was spilled out of one man’s sin. Jesus’ blood was shed to cover the sins of all mankind—and when we receive Him as Savior, we are cleansed, we are covered, we are heirs of heaven.
Cain and Abel were polar opposites. Cain was a man of the world. A man who believed in himself and what he could accomplish. When he laid the fruit of his labor before God, he expected God to be impressed –and satisfied. God was not (Genesis, Chapter 4).
Many of us are sufficiently like him that our thoughts rarely turn to God. We are quite content with our own abilities to navigate through life and we fully expect that God, if He exists, will be pleased enough with us at our life’s end to allow us whatever reward eternity holds.
When Cain’s brother Abel brought a blood offering before God and God accepted it, Cain was overwhelmed with anger and slew his brother. Cain did not understand that it is only by the shedding of blood that there can be remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22).
Again, the parallel between our first siblings and ourselves is remarkable. When our confidence in ourselves is compromised by our brothers’ successes, we are indignant, we are upset, we are infuriated that another’s efforts have been rewarded while ours go unrecognized and unrewarded.
Man thinks himself sophisticated today, beyond the need of superstition or religion. He sees himself beyond the time when these concepts played a significant role in how people lived their lives. Man is sure that his time on earth is significant because he thinks himself to be significant. He needs no reliance upon a Holy God who requires him to receive the salvation of Christ.
In one way, modern man is correct. Though the blood of lambs was required to cover man’s sin through the centuries prior to the coming of Christ, when Jesus bore the stripes on His back and the crown of thorns on His sinless head; when He endured the nails in His hands and feet; when the Roman soldier’s spear pierced His side, He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). And it was indeed finished. Never again will a spotless lamb need to be sacrificed in order to lift the burden of man’s sin.
Paul stated in Hebrews 12:24, “Jesus (is) Mediator of a new covenant and (His) sprinkled blood says better things than the blood of Abel.” Abel sacrificed the spotless lamb to cover his sin and his own blood was spilled out of one man’s sin. Jesus’ blood was shed to cover the sins of all mankind—and when we receive Him as Savior, we are cleansed, we are covered, we are heirs of heaven.
Monday, November 25, 2013
We Needn't Ponder
November 25
The sun comes up each morning in an amazing blaze of color across the eastern sky and sets in the west each evening with the same glorious display of vibrant beauty. The seeds that are planted in Spring burst forth to maturity in the sunshine and rain of Summer, producing an Autumn harvest of earth’s bounty.
Each day, each season has its wonders to behold as all nature attests to the exquisite imagination of the God who fashioned them. As David declares in Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shows His handiwork.”
Whether we love Him or not, whether we acknowledge His existence, the evidence around us abounds that an infinite mind has set about to produce a habitation of wonder and He who has fashioned it is of profound majesty. He has given us eyes to see, ears to hear, tongues to taste, hands to handle the fine works of art and sustenance that He has fashioned for us and He has given us the freedom to esteem them as we will.
Yet, there is more. If we allow Him to do so, He shall lavish us with not only the wonders of the natural world but also with the treasure trove of spiritual riches that He has provided for those who choose to believe—and who will appropriate them. He has said that He will meet our every need, according to the riches of all He owns (see Philippians 4:19).
What an amazing God we serve! In Judges 13:18 He asks, “Why do you ask My name…since it is wonderful!” In Malachi 3:10, He challenges us to prove the wonder of who He is! He invites us to, “Bring the tithe into the storehouse, and see if I will open the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that you cannot contain.”
When we obey Him, first by following Christ into salvation, then by employing the power of the gifts He has given to us, we will behold His glory! We needn’t ponder the majesty of God. We need only invite Jesus into our lives that we may see Him as He is.
The sun comes up each morning in an amazing blaze of color across the eastern sky and sets in the west each evening with the same glorious display of vibrant beauty. The seeds that are planted in Spring burst forth to maturity in the sunshine and rain of Summer, producing an Autumn harvest of earth’s bounty.
Each day, each season has its wonders to behold as all nature attests to the exquisite imagination of the God who fashioned them. As David declares in Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shows His handiwork.”
Whether we love Him or not, whether we acknowledge His existence, the evidence around us abounds that an infinite mind has set about to produce a habitation of wonder and He who has fashioned it is of profound majesty. He has given us eyes to see, ears to hear, tongues to taste, hands to handle the fine works of art and sustenance that He has fashioned for us and He has given us the freedom to esteem them as we will.
Yet, there is more. If we allow Him to do so, He shall lavish us with not only the wonders of the natural world but also with the treasure trove of spiritual riches that He has provided for those who choose to believe—and who will appropriate them. He has said that He will meet our every need, according to the riches of all He owns (see Philippians 4:19).
What an amazing God we serve! In Judges 13:18 He asks, “Why do you ask My name…since it is wonderful!” In Malachi 3:10, He challenges us to prove the wonder of who He is! He invites us to, “Bring the tithe into the storehouse, and see if I will open the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that you cannot contain.”
When we obey Him, first by following Christ into salvation, then by employing the power of the gifts He has given to us, we will behold His glory! We needn’t ponder the majesty of God. We need only invite Jesus into our lives that we may see Him as He is.
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